kimoto-zukuri
Izumibashi Sake Brewery was founded in 1857, during the Edo era. Located in an area with abundant land for rice growing and a natural waterflow from Mt. Tanazawa, they make full use of their environment to craft delicious sake. To show appreciation for the rice-growing and sake-making skills of their previous generations, they continue to work according to these same processes and will pass them on to the next generation to come. Part of Izumibashi’s production is still done using kimoto-zukuri techniques. This deeply traditional method, using naturally occurring lactic acids, produces a profound flavor profile.
"Delicious Sake Starts with Great Sake Rice"
*A “Cultivation Brewery” is a sake brewery that grows, harvest and mills its own rice for sake making. Such brewers treat sake as an agricultural product, from the growth of the rice to brewing. Izumibashi is a registered Cultivation Brewery.
Their philosophy is that great sake rice starts with making great soil, using environmentally-friendly reduced-pesticide cultivation processes, and improving the ratio of perfect grains cultivated.
Izumibashi notes that their rice fields are a precious resource that should be preserved for the next generations. They are therefore dedicated to keep healthy fields, with minimum use of agricultural chemicals and respect for flora and fauna. Their official mark is the “Akatonbo,” - a red dragonfly. The logo was based on the image of akatonbo soaring over the Izumibashi Sake Brewery’s rice fields. Red dragonflies are a common sight in the autumn skies near the brewery, so their are committed in preserving the natural environment to keep this view.
