Aoki Brewing Company

“Hokuetsu Yukifu” is a bestseller from the Edo period in which Makiyuki Suzuki lovingly depicts legends, monsters, and life in the snowy region, conveying the charm of snow to readers who are unfamiliar with snow. Aoki Sake Brewery is located in Shiozawa, where the story takes place, and produces sake with the “Yukio” label that appears in the Yukifu. It is the brewery of “Tsururei,” which is known for its delicious unprocessed sake.
The area is home to many famous ski resorts, and is an area with heavy snowfall that sometimes exceeds 2 meters. The harsh climate of this snowy country improves the quality of sake brewed in the cold. The water from the melting snow moistens the rice fields in the summer and nurtures Uonuma’s highly acclaimed rice. Good rice and harsh winters produce delicious sake.
Aoki Sake Brewery’s sake is made with plenty of local rice and water from melting snow. A brewer who grew up in Tokyo entered a sake brewery and created a flavor with a veteran brewer. This unprocessed sake is the complete opposite of Niigata Tanrei Dry, with a firm body, thick acidity, and a taste of rice on your tongue. Although it is not light and dry, it can be said to have the taste of sake typical of Echigo, the land of rice. Makinodori, an inn on Mikuni Kaido Shiozawa where a sake brewery is located, has revived the townscape of traditional snow country architecture, including Gangi. It’s a beautiful, fun-to-walk tourist street, and Aoki Sake Brewery’s cafe is also a popular spot.