Oct 26, 2009

Drinking Carrot Juice at Sake Brewery?

Before, I have drunk sake whose bottle bore a label on which a picture of a bird appeared. I remember the sake was rich and exhibited a pleasant aroma. I think it was "Tokubetsu Junmai Niwa no Uguisu." Yamaguchi Shuzojo is known for this brand name "Niwa no Uguisu."

During my trip to Kyushu from October 16 to 19, we dropped in Yamaguchi Shuzojo on the way from the hotel in Fukuoka prefecture to the next inn in the Oita prefecture.

When we almost reached Yamaguchi Shuzojo, we could not get any closer to the brewery because they were holding a festival at the nearby shinto shrine "Kitano Tenman Jinja," and regulating traffic. Having no choice but obeying the traffic controlling person, we parked the car in the parking lot according to his instruction, and walked on the road that we believed the right way to Yamaguchi Shuzojo. After just a five or so minute walk, we encountered a festival procession of children. We found they were proceeding just in front of the entrance of the brewery.


Yamaguchi Shuzojo is a small brewery producing only about 100 kilo litters annually. However, they are selling their sake also in the United States and other countries. Its Daruma Label sake of tokubetu junmai is introduced on pages at some Web sites such as those listed below. I hope also those living outside Japan can enjoy sake more easily.
Urbansake.com 
True Sake



On this day, they were holding an exhibition of patchwork and attracting many visitors. They offered visitors opportunities to sample their sake. Unfortunately, I was driving the car and could not drink. The two friends traveling together with me were enjoying sampling various types of sake while I was making do with carrot juice (I don't know how come they had carrot juice for sampling). As to sake, I purchased a bottle of tokubetsu junmai hiyaoroshi, and I am now waiting for an opportunity to open this bottle.

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