SAKE MAP
Hokkaido & Tohoku / Types: Sake
Six drinks from Yamagata, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Juyondai
A legendary Murayama label that has become synonymous with "impossible to get." Its name is said to come from the fourteenth-generation head who brewed it. Its fruity, gorgeous taste is credited with rewriting the conventions of sake and influencing many brewers. The bottle everyone names as the one they'd love to try at least once.
Pairs with：Yamagata dashi (chopped-vegetable relish) / Tama-konnyaku (skewered konjac balls)
Dewazakura
A distinguished Tendo brewery said to be one of the sparks that lit the ginjo boom. True to its name, its charm is a gorgeous, fragrant aroma like cherry blossoms. High in quality yet approachable in price, it has long been loved as an entry to sake. A bright bottle that makes you want to bring one to a spring blossom-viewing.
Pairs with：Imoni (taro and meat stew) / Yonezawa beef
Tatenokawa
A Sakata brewery that stunned the industry by resolving to make its entire lineup junmai daiginjo. The boldness of milling rice lavishly shows directly in its clear taste. That daring move by a long-established brewery drew many fans. The resolve of a maker true to its convictions dwells in every cup.
Pairs with：Kandara-jiru (winter cod soup) / Minden-nasu pickle (small eggplant)
Kudokijozu
An unforgettable Tsuruoka bottle, with ukiyo-e beauties on its label and the flirtatious name "smooth talker." Living up to the name, its sweet, fragrant taste slips right into your heart. That easy charm on the palate is a case of the name fitting perfectly. One cup and you may find yourself growing talkative.
Pairs with：Dadacha-mame (premium Tsuruoka edamame) / Mosou-jiru (bamboo-shoot soup)
Jokigen
A Sakata brewery with a lucky name punning on "in high spirits" — one that seems to promise a smile with every drink. Known as a technician who freely commands a wide range of sake rice, it produces a broad variety of flavors. Whichever you pick, it never misses — earning the trust of connoisseurs. True to the name, you'll want to raise cups in good cheer.
Pairs with：Hatahata (sailfin sandfish) / Minden-nasu pickle (small eggplant)
Yamagatamasamune
A Tendo bottle carrying the venerable "Masamune" name found in many regions. Without gimmicks, its creed is an honest brewing that mirrors the umami of rice. Its never-tiring, savory character slips right in at the everyday table. A sincere Yamagata sake that chooses honesty over flash.
Pairs with：Imoni (taro and meat stew) / Hiyashi niku-soba (chilled meat soba)