Hokkaido start-up brewery releases a toned-down sparkling sake, Nochiu

A head brewer from a renowned brewery takes on a new challenge in the north

Mori no Jozosho is a new sake brewery in Rankoshi (Rankoshi-cho), in the south-west of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. According to the sake-focused outlet SAKE Street, its founder, Ryogo Kitahara, was previously head brewer at Yamanashi Meijo, a brewery in Yamanashi Prefecture, just west of Tokyo. There he was responsible for improving the quality of the Shichiken brand and developing new products. He left Yamanashi Meijo in autumn 2024 and built from scratch a brewery that makes only sparkling sake. Brewing in Rankoshi began at the end of 2025.

Sparkling sake is made in two broad ways: by adding carbon dioxide to the finished sake, or through “secondary fermentation in the bottle” (known in Japanese as hinnai nijihakko), in which yeast ferments a second time inside the bottle and produces bubbles naturally. The latter follows the same principle as Champagne. Mori no Jozosho is presented as a brewery built around this bottle-fermentation method.

Nochiu, a new release with the quirks toned down

According to the Hokkaido Shimbun, the brewery has launched a new product called Nochiu. The sakes Mori no Jozosho had released until now were reportedly strongly individual, with a pronounced character on the palate. Nochiu moves away from that line: it is said to have been finished with the quirks toned down, giving a refreshing, clean and easy-drinking taste.

Details such as price, alcohol content and the rice used are not given in the publicly available part of the article. Even so, it is a notable widening of the range when a young brewery, alongside its characterful sakes, prepares a bottle that is easy for newcomers to pick up.

How to enjoy it in Europe

It cannot currently be confirmed whether Mori no Jozosho’s sake is distributed in Europe. Because imports from new breweries are often very limited, the quickest route is to ask specialist sake importers and retailers whether they plan to stock sake from new Hokkaido breweries. If you do get hold of a bottle, serve it well chilled in a wine glass, which lets the aroma open up. A clean style of sparkling sake works well as an aperitif and pairs easily with light starters such as fresh oysters or white-fish carpaccio. It can also stand in for Champagne or Cava for a toast. Checking the label for bottle fermentation may also help you notice the difference in the fineness of the bubbles.