Sake & brews ── Nihonshu (sake)

Kijoshu

Kijoshu — sake brewed using sake instead of water

Sake brewed by replacing part of the usual brewing water with sake itself. Said to have been developed by a national brewing research institute for state dinners, it carries a rich sweetness and viscous body, and is said to deepen into amber with age.

What it's made of

Ordinary sake uses roughly 130 parts water to 100 parts rice, but kijoshu replaces the water in the mash's final stage with sake itself, using something closer to 70 parts water and 60 parts sake per 100 of rice. Because the sugars and amino acids aren't diluted with plain water, the result is said to be a rich sweetness and a notably viscous body.

How it's made

In the traditional three-stage mashing process, sake is added in place of water at the final stage, called tome. Balancing saccharification and fermentation under these conditions is said to call for delicate handling, and as it ages, the color is said to deepen gradually into a rich amber, its texture growing rounder still.

Why it took this shape

A national brewing research institute is said to have developed it after noting that French wine was served at state dinners, aiming to create a sake refined enough for the same occasions. The basic idea of substituting sake for part of the brewing water is also said to echo an ancient brewing method called 'shiori,' recorded in the Heian-era Engishiki code.