What we believe
Sake as a side order, make our stories colorful
Sake is magical brew, shortening the social distance between people. Even after big failures, if we have a drink, we can remember the fun times again.
We wish our Sake could strengthen you both at your sad time and at your hard time.
Pleasantly and seriously
We are not nitpickers when making Sake. We just assist the living microbes` action, which have lived with us throughout the ages.
Work is the means for our living a rich life. However, those 8 working hours should be pleasant ones.
Let`s forget about making Sake in a gloomy atmosphere. Let`s work together with a smile.
Our staff members take turns choosing the background music of the day at the Sake brewery.
What we make
The birth of `Yamamoto` brand
The representative brand `Shirataki` since its foundation was named after a downfall of our Sake brewery. In 2007 when the Sake brewery went bankrupt, Yamamoto Jr., the successor, made up his mind to abolish the old brewer system.
At the first making of our Sake, with our backs against the wall, miraculously the delicious `Junmai Ginjyo` was born.
`Yamamoto` brand was born from our neighborhood liquor store owner`s advice.
`Sake` into script
Common labels for Sake usually describe not only the rice and the yeast but also the Sake degree, the acid degree and the amino acid degree in details. We say, `Drink Sake with your hearts not with your brains`, which is Yamamoto style.
A new step
We produced Craft gin using 30 different kinds of botanicals based on Ginjyo aroma and the alcohol extracted from Sake lees. To take on a challenge overseas, we visited England, the home of gin, to study hard at the manufacturer.
Travel the infinite night with youHow we do it
01
The water of the Shirakami mountains
Mother nature`s water we use for making Sake is spring water from the Shirakami mountains. We installed the company water pipe to lead the water directly back to the Sake brewery in 1932. We have had an unlimited supply of this water.
It is fit for our Sake quality though it is ultra soft water for weakening the fermentation power.
02
In-house rice milling
We refine rice with diamond.
The refinement averages about 50%, so half becomes rice flour.
It`s wasteful, but we make it more important to show how sharp is the way of Yamamoto.
03
Steaming
We steam the rice with high pressure steam all at once. We are very careful not to have our hands burnt by the steam when we peel off the cloth.
It must be from carelessness if we are injured at the end of the season.
04
Yeast starter
We work in a very hygienic space filled with plasma cluster.
The room is grazed, so it is obvious when someone is slacking off. (laugh)
05
Making malt (yeast)
Two out of three of our workers are women.
The work shaking the seed malt needs tension and seriousness, but in other areas, smiles.
06
Jiuqu
What`s the jagged board??
When the yeast is leveled with it, the surface area is enlarged efficiently
07
Rice analysis
We observe the finished jiuqu and polished rice under a microscope.
Recent observations we enlarged were Shichimi chili peppers. They were very beautiful!
08
Sake analysis
Sake degree, acidity, amino acid degree, sugar content, alcohol degree and pyruvic acid are quantified every day to test the health condition of our unrefined Sake.
In addition I test my own sugar content.
I`d better eat less ice cream at night!
09
Unrefined Sake (mash)
To be squeezed about 3 days after preparation is ideal.
We don`t need to stir the mash with the oar-like stirring tool as we adopt a forced circulation system for the mash in our elongated custom-made tank.
10
Bottling
We bottle our Sake in the same sterile room as the operating room.
To avoid contamination we use a filter, but in the end we have to check with our eyes.
No tank storage. Bottle burning and rapid cooling should be done within a week after the mash has been squeezed. Freshness is Yamamoto`s life.
11
Labeling
It`s so easy to have the labeler label the front and the back of the bottle automatically. Our labels contain the resin for water-proofing, so that they are not easily torn.
To carry the box with 8 of 1 sho bottles inside is infernal, but we have 2 robot-arms in our storage, which enables women to carry them in one hand. Quite impressive, isn`t it?
12
Shipment
Isn`t the design of our cardboard box fancy?
It`s `Yamamoto` style that takes things unrelated to Sake quality seriously.
We ARE serious and wonder why we don`t look serious to everyone?
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