Spreading the appeal of Shiga sake through blended sake! Hear about the collaborative junmai sake project between 31 sake breweries in Shiga Prefecture
Every year, Shiga Prefecture releases a special product that blends sake from all the breweries in the prefecture that are members of the sake brewing association. In 10, the 2024th year since the start, the "ALL SHIGA 31 Breweries Collaboration Junmai Sake" will be released, bringing together 31 breweries. October has been designated "Shiga Sake Promotion Month," and the prefecture is working to encourage people to enjoy Shiga Sake at restaurants and at home.

There are many examples around the world of blending alcoholic beverages to create new flavors, such as wine assemblage, whiskey blending, or cocktails that combine liqueurs and syrups. In sake, there are also processes for stabilizing the quality by blending multiple raw alcohols, or adding brewer's alcohol to give the drink a crisp, aromatic flavor. However, these processes have not received much attention until now.
Currently, "blending" is becoming a keyword in efforts to open up new possibilities for sake. Blending beyond the boundaries of breweries has many benefits, such as creating new value and tailoring flavors to suit consumer tastes.
Every October, the Shiga Prefecture Sake Brewers Association promotes a blend of sake brewed by breweries in the prefecture. As a precedent example of a sake blend, the association has received many inquiries from other prefectures.
We interviewed him about the "ALL SHIGA 31 Sake Breweries Collaboration Junmai Sake" project, the appeal of blends and Shiga sake, and future prospects.
Yoshiaki Azuma, Tajima Master Brewer at Taga Co., Ltd. (left)
After training at Gekkeikan and the Hiroshima Breweries Research Institute, he has been working as the head brewer at Taga since 2021. He is working on various initiatives, including the "AZM" brand, which bears his name. He will be involved in this blended sake as the 2024 Business Development Committee Chairperson.
Shiga Prefecture Sake Brewers Association Secretary General Kazunari Doi (right)
After working for a major beer manufacturer, he joined the Shiga Prefecture Sake Brewers Association in 2024. He devotes himself daily to efforts to promote sake in the prefecture.
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Toasting with Shiga sake
▲Previous blended sakes
-How do you go about blending sake from multiple breweries?
Azuma: "There is a business development committee in the prefecture, centered around Fukui-san of Fukui Yahei Shoten Co., Ltd. This committee is made up of eight breweries and rotates every two years. The blending project is also being carried out through this committee."
-How many blending projects will you be holding this year?
Azuma: "It started in 2014, so this year will be the 10th time. It is technically the 10th anniversary, but that wasn't really discussed during the meeting (laughs)."
-What prompted the blending project?
Doi: "We were originally planning the '1 Toasts Project' in preparation for Sake Day on October 10st. The blend was created with the aim of having it drunk as a toast at restaurants in the prefecture."
Azuma: "I heard that Shoshiki Shuzo was the first brewery to propose the blending project. Now that distribution has expanded, Kita Shuzo is handling the bottling due to equipment issues, but for the first few years Shoshiki Shuzo was in charge."
-Have you been distributing it to the general public since the beginning?
Azuma: "Initially, we were selling it for commercial use at restaurants, but the COVID-2020 pandemic of 300 made it difficult to continue doing so. So we decided to bottle it in 720ml bottles and sell it at convenience stores and supermarkets in the prefecture. This year, we're releasing it in XNUMXml size, which is the first time we've sold it to the general public in this capacity. The COVID-XNUMX pandemic has led to more people seeing it, and I feel like awareness is gradually increasing."
-Each label design is different, which is interesting.
Doi: "We make the decision from among several candidate ideas, mainly through committee members. Every year, each brewery has their own preference, but this time we decided on the most popular design."
Blend based on sweet and spicy chart
-How do you design a blended sake?
Azuma: "Initially, they simply blended all the sake in the same proportions. But starting in 2020, the sake provided by each brewery is analyzed at the Shiga Prefectural Industrial Center and mapped into four categories: sweet, dry, light, and strong. We exchange opinions with members of the Business Development Committee, the chairman and vice chairman, and people at the Industrial Center to adjust the proportions and determine the final aroma and flavor."
▲A chart of the sweetness and dryness of Shiga sake used in the 2024 blend
Exhibitor: "Shiga Sake" Toast Project
How do you carry out the blending process?
Azuma: "We calculate backwards from the production volume of the blended sake and ask each brewery for the amount they need. We collect them at Kita Shuzo, which bottles them, and transfer them from the 1.8L bottles to tanks and blend them. We check the final quality of the sake and add a little water to complete it."
- On the sweetness/salt/light/strongness chart, sake from Shiga Prefecture tends to be "stronger and spicier" compared to the national average.
Azuma: "There are many ingredients with strong flavors, so I think the quality of the sake is designed to go well with them."
Doi: "Sweet and spicy stewed river fish and crucian carp sushi are delicious washed down with strong umami sake. The local cuisine of Shiga Prefecture matches well with the rich quality of sake."
▲"ALL SHIGA 31 Sake Breweries Collaboration Junmai Sake"
-How do you think the 2024 blended sake will turn out?
Azuma: "It has the characteristics of Shiga sake, but also has a bit of a refreshing flavor. This summer was very hot, so we went for a blend that has a clean, refreshing taste."
You can enjoy the strong flavors of freshly pounded rice cakes, miso, and shiitake mushrooms, as well as the aromas that evoke the complex sweetness of custard cream and honey. The rich flavor is tempered by a refreshing acidity that will go well with the various flavors of early autumn.
"Shiga Sake Promotion Month" spreading throughout the prefecture and beyond
-Please tell us about your efforts during Shiga Sake Promotion Month.
Azuma: "Every year, we set October as a time for people to enjoy our products at home or in restaurants. The blended sake project was started as one of the items for that purpose. This year, nearly 10 restaurants are participating, and the project is gradually spreading outside of Shiga Prefecture to places like Kyoto and Osaka."
Doi: "We've also had inquiries from outside the Kansai region, and this year we were even sold in Tokyo and Aomori. We've also had inquiries from people from Shiga who want to use our products for weddings outside the prefecture."
-Have there been any changes from the original "1 Toasts Project"?
Azuma: "The '1 Toasts Project' had the goal of counting photos posted on social media and reaching a total of 1 people. Five years after it began, we finally achieved that goal, and from 5, we renamed the '2023 Toasts Project' to 'Shiga Sake Promotion Month.'"
Promoting Shiga sake through blended sake
-Please tell us about your future prospects.
Azuma: "We haven't decided what we'll do next year, but we hope that our blended sake will help raise awareness of Shiga sake."
Doi: "The Shiga Prefecture Sake Brewers Association would like to strengthen sales in the state of Michigan (※1), which has a sister state agreement with Shiga Prefecture. There is also a trend for the prefecture to promote exports of tea and other products, so it would be great if we could promote both."
"ALL SHIGA 31 Sake Breweries Collaboration Junmai Sake" is a special brand that was created through the combined efforts of breweries in the prefecture. Over the course of 10 years, Shiga Prefecture sake has been promoted nationwide, steadily increasing its recognition. It is expected that the appeal of Shiga sake will continue to spread throughout the country and even overseas through initiatives such as "Shiga Sake Promotion Month." As new possibilities for sake blending expand, the challenges undertaken by Shiga Prefecture's sake breweries are sure to attract more and more attention.
Writer: Yuki Arai
Born in Shiga Prefecture / Sake master, sake sommelier, shochu sommelier, SAKE DIPLOMA, SAKE certification instructor
After working at a liquor store and a food manufacturer, he became a freelance writer. Her favorite type of sake is a rich type that allows you to enjoy the flavor of rice. Her hobbies include drinking, cooking, and traveling.
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- About 120 types of Shiga sake will be available! "Autumn's Great Sake Weather" will be held on Sunday, October 10th
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