Hakkaisan Brewing Combines Tradition and Innovation in Sake

Sake is art. Artisans have brewed sake for hundreds of years with a technique called kanzukuri, using the frigid touch of winter to create optimal conditions for their creations. Hakkaisan Brewery continues this tradition in Niigata under the gaze of Mount Hakkai, sourcing all ingredients—from the spring water to the koji—locally.

Hakkaisan Brewery Chairman Jiro Nagumo says the brewery focuses on the Tanrei Balanced Style, which centers on achieving a balanced taste for broad appeal. With the profile of sake experiencing global gains, the company looks to capitalize by producing sake that will please both experienced and novice sake drinkers. Nagumo explains the rationale behind the broadly appealing taste came from his grandfather Koichi Nagumo, who founded the company. “His goal was to create a sake that was easy to drink and enjoyable in social settings,” he says. His father, Kazuo, further refined the style and committed to regional revitalization, establishing the brewery as a place where local people could find meaningful work. Believing the growth of the business and the revitalization were intertwined, the company grew dramatically. Now, with the company's reigns, Nagumo says his purpose is to continue evolving the Tanrei Balanced style and expand Hakkaisan Brewery’s reach into global markets.

Hakkaisan Brewery’s goal is to offer the best quality sake, achieved through decades of technological development, which it leverages across all its production processes. Nagumo describes the process as more akin to manufacturing than food production. He likens sake brewing to building a Formula 1 car, maximizing technology, materials and talent to develop elite, private-use Daiginjo—the best bottle. Knowledge gained, he says, is applied to everyday sake, making it delicious, affordable and ever-improving through new technology. Hakkaisan produces high-quality products at affordable prices.

The company analyzes the market to find new opportunities and develop new products with global audiences in mind. Hakkaisan have entered into a multi-year partnership agreement with Los Angeles Dodgers. “It is a great honor to collaborate with such a historic team, and we try to make special collaboration products with Los Angeles Dodgers and expand the potential of sake worldwide,” he says. In 2021, it partnered with Brooklyn Kura, a sake brewery and taproom in Brooklyn, New York and is working with them to release sake products made in the United States. “Our collaboration was driven by the allure that sake holds for American consumers,” he explains. Brooklyn Kura wanted to produce Japanese Sake in the United States, which appealed to Hakkaisan Brewery.  He adds: “This partnership represents more than just exporting techniques; it’s about creating something unique.” Utilizing in unison with Hakkaisan's tutelage and Brooklyn Kura's identity, the collaboration has resulted in some truly unique sake. Nagumo believes the blend of tradition and innovation makes the product interesting and has the potential to become a global sake brand.

Hakkaisan Brewery’s blending of tradition with innovation uplifts the art of sake production. By honoring age-old methods and embracing modern techniques, they craft sake to satisfy seasoned and new enjoyers alike so that everyone might experience the wonders of sake.