Third-year apprentice brews low-alcohol dry sake "Ryok"

Shota Inoue worked for a company overseas, where he became captivated by sake and decided to open his own brewery. He joined Tsujimoto Honten, a brewery in Maniwa, Okayama Prefecture, that has been operating for more than 200 years, and trained there for three years starting with no experience. On 7 September 2026, “Ryok”, the first sake he has made himself, went on sale. Inoue handled not only the brewing but also the search for places to sell it.

Drawn to sake abroad, now brewing it with his own hands

Inoue is from Okayama city. He became serious about sake while living abroad for work. He found it fascinating that the taste differs so completely from region to region, and felt this was a charm that no other drink had. His mentor at Tsujimoto Honten was the toji (head brewer), Maiko Tsuji. Knowing that Inoue would eventually go independent, Tsuji has taught him the brewery’s techniques without holding anything back. If young people gain experience at Tsujimoto Honten and then build their own breweries, the whole sake industry in Okayama Prefecture will thrive, she says. Training young people should also benefit Tsujimoto Honten itself.

A dry sake at 12% that still feels satisfying

Ryok is made from Omachi, a sake rice grown in Okayama Prefecture. Omachi is Okayama’s signature rice for sake brewing and is known for its full, rounded umami. Sake generally sits at around 15 to 16% alcohol by volume, but Ryok is lower at 12%. Even so, it has been finished dry, with the umami typical of Omachi clearly present. At an event held by Tsujimoto Honten before the release, guests with a good knowledge of sake gathered and offered comments such as “a true Omachi taste” and “great for summer; it would probably be nice over ice”. Maki Ichida, a sake writer who has long covered Okayama’s breweries, says it has an aroma reminiscent of yoghurt. In her assessment, the texture is very light, yet the umami of Omachi lies beneath it, giving a depth that is hard to believe at 12%.

Preparing for independence

Inoue is now presenting his new product in various places while also searching for a location to build his own brewery. The preparations are demanding, he says, but they are fun because he can see them moving forward bit by bit. An established brewery that nurtures a new brewer and sends them out into the world is one example of how regional sake businesses are changing generations.

We do not know at present whether Ryok will be available in Europe. Even so, there are two things in this article that you can enjoy. One is the sake rice Omachi. Even in specialist sake shops in Europe you sometimes come across bottles with Omachi on the label. If you taste several side by side, you may begin to see the shared character of a gentle, rounded umami. The other is the alcohol level. More and more sake is being made at around 12 to 13%, close to wine. It pairs easily with food, and some people enjoy it over ice as an aperitif.