SAKE MAP
Kansai / Types: Sake
Six drinks from Osaka, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Akishika
A hardcore brewery in the mountain village of Nose, said to be Osaka's only one, doing everything from rice-growing. Insisting on "single-estate brewing," its hallmark is a powerful, savory taste. It has a caliber that surprises you: such a serious brewer in Osaka. A bottle to savor the satoyama bounty whole.
Pairs with：Dote-yaki (miso-simmered beef tendon) / Hako-zushi (pressed box sushi)
Goshun
A phantom bottle from the sake town of Ikeda, loved above all locally. Deliberately not widely distributed, it keeps a crisp, poised taste. A brewery that chooses never-tiring quality over flash. A sake you'll want to visit Ikeda to taste.
Pairs with：Hako-zushi (pressed box sushi) / Kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers)
Amanosake
A Kawachinagano brewery of venerable pedigree, famed in medieval times as a temple sake. Said to have been loved by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, its hallmark is a rich, sweet taste. A bottle carrying the lineage of ancient sake, brimming with historical romance. Savor it slowly, tale of the warring states and all.
Pairs with：Dote-yaki (miso-simmered beef tendon) / Takoyaki (octopus balls)
Katanosakura
A bottle of a brewery insisting on old-style handcraft in Katano. Its full, satisfying taste deepens further when warmed. It has a gorgeous name, after the cherry-blossom spot of Katano. A cheerful sake that suits spring blossom-viewing, too.
Pairs with：Okonomiyaki (savory pancake) / Kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers)
Rikyubai
An Osaka bottle with an elegant name evoking the spirit of the tea master Sen no Rikyu. Its calm taste suits a quiet setting best. Its charm is a refined bearing that conveys the aesthetic of wabi-sabi. Savor it leisurely, as in the way of tea.
Pairs with：Hako-zushi (pressed box sushi) / Okonomiyaki (savory pancake)
Shonosato
A bottle brewed close to the community in the farmland of Izumisano. Valuing the umami of rice, its hallmark is a rustic, warm taste. With an unassuming approachability, it stands by the local table. A gentle sake evoking the original scenery of one's hometown.
Pairs with：Takoyaki (octopus balls) / Dote-yaki (miso-simmered beef tendon)