SAKE MAP
Kanto / Types: Sake
Six drinks from Ibaraki, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Satonohomare
A bottle from a brewery said to date to the Muromachi period, among the oldest in Japan. Despite its long history, it was an innovator, among the first to try additive-free, natural brewing. Its blossom-like fragrance is unique to a brewery where tradition and innovation coexist. A profound sake in which the old and the new mysteriously blend.
Pairs with：Anko-nabe (monkfish hotpot) / Soboro-natto (dried fermented soybeans)
Raifuku
A Chikusei brewery with an auspicious name meaning "fortune arrives." Known for brewing with rare yeasts extracted from flowers, it produces gorgeous, varied aromas. Helped by its lucky name, it has been enjoyed as a bottle for celebratory occasions. Drink it and you'll feel something good is about to happen.
Pairs with：Hoshi-imo (dried sweet potato) / Anko-nabe (monkfish hotpot)
Wataribune
An ambitious sake that revived the phantom sake rice "Wataribune," once nearly lost, and took its name. It brims with the passion of a maker who deliberately takes on a laborious old variety. It draws out the umami of rice into a full, satisfying taste. A sake that revives a nearly-vanished history in a single cup.
Pairs with：Renkon (lotus root) / Anko-nabe (monkfish hotpot)
Buyu
A long-established brewery in the castle town of Yuki, preserving its historic buildings and storefront to this day. Contrary to its valiant name, the taste is poised and soft. An unadorned talent that has kept standing by the local table. After a stroll through the old townscape, you'll want to tip a quiet cup.
Pairs with：Soboro-natto (dried fermented soybeans) / Kenchin-jiru (vegetable & tofu soup)
Hitorimusume
A Joso sake whose name carries the wish to "raise sake with all one's care, like a precious only daughter." True to that, its charm is a gentle, soft mouthfeel. Its unassertive taste settles easily into the everyday table. Just hearing the name makes you want to drink it with care.
Pairs with：Soboro-natto (dried fermented soybeans) / Anko-nabe (monkfish hotpot)
Tsukinoi
A locally rooted maker with its brewery in the seaside town of Oarai. It has a graceful name, said to come from a well that once mirrored the moon. Its crisp, dry taste tightens up the richness of Oarai's famous monkfish hotpot. Listen to the waves and drink it with the bounty of the sea.
Pairs with：Anko-nabe (monkfish hotpot) / Shirasu (baby whitebait)