Hakushu sits on the northern edge of Yamanashi prefecture, and shares a name with the famed water source also used for Suntory Hakushu whisky.
In 1750, Ikee Kitahara, an established sake brewer from Nagano, was taken by the soft, granite filtered waters that ran from the Japanese Alps' Mt. Kaikoma. He moved his operations to Hakushu in devotion of this pristine water source, and it has remained the cornerstone of the brewery's style ever since. Around 2018, brothers Ryogo and Tsushima Kitahara took over operations and leaned in even harder to Hakushu's locality. Prior to their generation, the brewery had run under the guild system, where seasonal contract toji and brewers came in and brewed in their own style. This stops with Ryogo, who took the title of toji at the young age of 30. The brothers don't shy away from the concept of terroir, owing the success and longevity of the family operation to Hakushu's water.
Yamanashi Meijo
Known for Shichiken
Hakushu sits on the northern edge of Yamanashi prefecture, and shares a name with the famed water source also used for Suntory Hakushu whisky. In 1750, Ikee Kitahara, an established sake brewer from Nagano, was taken by the soft, granite...
