The beginning of 2025! This is the recommended sake with the Zodiac bottle and Year of the Snake label! [10th Monthly Oshizo Ranking] Results announced! !

10th Monthly Oshizo Ranking

■10th ranking theme
``What sake is attracting attention on the Year of the Snake label? ”

■Voting period
①Primary voting: 12/20-23
②Decisive voting: 12/25-27

The year 2025 has arrived! !
This year's zodiac sign is the Snake!
Because snakes repeatedly shed their skin「Reborn as a new self” “Seize a happy future”It seems that it has the meaning!
I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of encounters we will have this year.♪

For sake lovers, speaking of “zodiac”, it is[Zodiac bottle]That's right!
Every year, each brewery releases new sake with the Zodiac label for a limited time only.
Sake fans look forward to the designs and flavors that are different from regular labels, such as unique labels and naming, every year.♪
Chosen by all the zodiac bottle lovers“Sake attracting attention on the Year of the Snake label”Introducing the ranking results!

What is the monthly recommended store ranking?

What is the monthly recommended store ranking?“User voting type sake media”It is.
For each theme, everyone“I recommend it the most!”We will compile and announce the recommended stores that we felt!

By voting from everyone, you will be able to know the real "Oshizo" of each rather than the trend.
Why not discover recommended sake and sake breweries through this ranking and make your daily sake life even more enjoyable?♪

Voting benefits [present plan]

As a voting benefit, 5 people will be chosen by lottery from among the voters."Hands-on Sake - Recommended Sake"to deliverPresent planImplemented! !

This time we will deliver these 5 books.♪

・Sakurada Sake Brewery Noto Selected Honjozo First Cherry Blossom 1800ml
・Sakurada Sake Brewery Noto Selected Honjozo First Cherry Blossom 720ml
・Matsunami Sake Brewery Oeyama Honjozo Freshly Squeezed Namazake 720ml
・Kasuma Shuzo Takeha Hyakumangoku no Shiro Daiginjo 300ml
・Kasuma Sake Brewery Takeha Noto Junmai 300ml

The winners will be announced every time after the monthly Oshizo rankings have been tallied.Hands-on SAKE SNSWe will announce it!

After voting, people asked themselves, ``Will my favorite sake brewery come out on top?'' ``Will the giveaway sake win?''The appeal of the Monthly Oshizo Ranking is that you can enjoy double excitement and excitement.♪
Please feel free to vote!

10th Monthly Oshizo Ranking TOP3 results announced!

TOP3 of the 10th Monthly Oshizo RankingHere it is! !

The person who won the 1st place wasNishida Sake Brewery (Aomori Prefecture)！！
After all, the soil of “Tazake” is strong! !
When it comes to local sake in Aomori, it is a very popular brewery that people call ``Ten Sake!'', and if you are a Japanese sake lover, there is probably no one who doesn't know about it.
If that rice wine sells a limited edition zodiac bottle, it's sure to get everyone's attention!
Like Shinsei Sake Brewery (Akita Prefecture), which took first place in the previous ranking, this is the first time that it has appeared in the monthly recommended brewery ranking.
As expected, he has reigned at the top with his name value and ability.

tied for 2nd placeMaruishi Jozo (Aichi Prefecture)andMori Sake Brewery (Nagasaki Prefecture)He is a talented person with strong fans all over the country!
Maruishi Jozo, which brews ``Nito'', has many cute designs not only on the zodiac labels but also on the regular labels, and they also have the ability to do so, so it was a no-brainer that they won the award.
Mori Sake Brewery is ranked in the TOP3 for the first time in a while! The ``Hiran'' zodiac bottle created with a novel idea is definitely something to be interested in.♪

By the way, the results of the TOP 10 below 4th place were as follows!
This time as well, there are many unique sake breweries, which makes for an interesting ranking!

Now, we will introduce the oshigura and oshisake that won the top 3 rankings.♪

[1st place] Nishida Sake Brewery

Aomori, the northernmost part of Honshu.
Nishida Sake Brewery's brewery is located in Aburakawa, facing Mutsu Bay, in the northwest of Aomori City.
Aburakawa, Aomori City, was once called “Ohama”.From Kamakura to the Sengoku period“Sotogahama” (Tsugaru Peninsula east coast area)It was the most prosperous port in the country.

During the Genroku period, there were Omi merchants in this area.The history of the Nishida family is that Saburoemon Nishida immigrated there and ran a kimono business for generations.
As time passed, in 1878, the first brewer, Rintaro Nishida, founded the company as a sake brewery.
Currently, it is the only sake brewery in Aomori City, brewing ``Kikuizumi'' and ``Tensake.''

Traditional Ginjo sake “Kikuizumi”

A representative brand that has been produced since its founding"Kikuizumi"。
To create a light and refreshing tasteThese are ``Daiginjoshu'' and ``Ginjoshu'' with the minimum amount of brewing alcohol added.
In the past, Kikuizumi had also produced honjozo sake, but in order to make it easier to understand and want people to drink better quality sake, they unified it as the current ``Ginjo sake'' while keeping the price low.

In Kikuizumi,“May the joy continue for a long time”This is a famous sake that fills the hearts of its drinkers with joy and has won gold awards many times at sake competitions across the country.

The phantom pure rice sake “Tazake”

Nishida Sake Brewery's signature sake has captivated sake lovers across the country for many years due to its delicious taste and popularity, which is difficult to obtain."Tazake"。

Denshu is written as ``rice field sake.''

As the name suggests, it means a rice field where rice is harvested, the source of sake.We do not use any brewing alcohol or sugars produced outside of Japanese rice fields.This is a umami-tasting junmai sake that strongly emphasizes the flavor of rice.

Before the war, Nishida Sake Brewery only produced pure rice sake.
In 1970, the previous chairman, Kotaro Nishida,
“We want to return to the origins of sake and create authentic sake that conveys the taste of the rice fields.”
With this in mind, we began brewing pure rice sake.
After that, it took three years to commercialize the product, and in 1974, ``Tenzake'' was born.

At first, it did not sell well and was sluggish, but in 1981, seven years after its release, it won the best sake contest in Japan in the magazine Tokusengai, which sparked its popularity.
Since then, it has gradually gained recognition, including winning first place in the same magazine's "warm sake category."“Sake is delicious no matter how you drink it!”It spread nationwide.

President Tsukasa Nishida, a legend who drives the popularity of rice wine

What has been driving the popularity of rice wine for many years is“Aomori Legend”President Tsukasa Nishida, who is famous as

President Nishida, who was born in Aomori City, worked for a major electronics manufacturer after graduating from university."I want to work in the countryside"He started thinking about this and changed his job to his wife's family's Nishida Sake Brewery.
After that, he became managing director and then president in 2004.

Since I joined the company from a different industry, I had some difficulties working in sake brewing at first, but on the other hand, I was able to enjoy the unique skills of a career change group.Ideas that are not bound by “industry common sense”will bring about reforms at Nishida Sake Brewery.

In order to stabilize the quality of alcohol, we started by installing air conditioning in the storage area, and built a large refrigerated warehouse that can store 150,000 1-sho bottles.
We streamlined work flow by introducing a transportation crane to reduce the burden on brewers.

President Nishida is
「Customers will judge that if the same sake is made every year, it tastes worse than last year.
In order to accommodate these changes, we always make small changes every year in terms of raw materials, equipment, technology, etc.」

As he says, he has always set his goals on the unconventional and continues to evolve with new ideas.
This nimble and flexible ability to respond is perhaps the secret to the brewery's continued popularity.

In recognition of this achievement, in 2023,President Nishida is in the autumnReceived the Medal with Yellow Ribbon.
This is an achievement worthy of the name of a legend in Aomori and the local sake industry.
I look forward to the future evolution of Nishida Sake Brewery!

Year of the Snake label sake “Tazake NEW YEAR Bottle 2025 Junmai Ginjo Namazake”

Delicious rice wineheavyClass!

The Year of the Snake label for rice wine is all about snakes and is powerful!
The golden letters “Tazake” shining in the center are auspicious!

This is a Junmai Ginjo sake from Aomori Prefecture that has been refined to 50% of its charm.
Contrary to the stylish label, the taste is juicy with a melon aroma.
Clean taste with a fresh gas feeling.
With just the right balance of sharp acidity, this is a bottle that will bring a smile to your face in the new year.♪

■Voters' recommendations■

Y・N/Shimane Prefecture

I look forward to it every year. A fresh sake version available in spring and fall.
We look forward to serving you delicious sake in the future.

Mr. R.T/Ibaraki Prefecture

The labels look great every year, and the flavor is fruity, sweet, crisp, and delicious.
It's a drink I look forward to buying every year.

■Denzake NEW YEAR Bottle 2025 Junmai Ginjo NamazakeSpecs■

[Nishida Sake Brewery]
〒038-0059
46 Ohama, Amurakawa, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
TEL: 017-788-0007
HP:http://www.densyu.co.jp/

[2nd place] Maruishi Brewery

Founded in 1690.
The storehouse is located in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Edo Shogunate, and where Okazaki Castle stands.。
It is also famous as a fermentation town, dotted with Hatcho miso storehouses.

The history of Maruishi Brewery began in 1690, when the first generation, Santayu Torimachi, heard about sake brewing from the Tokaido road that ran from the west to Edo during the booming Edo period, acquired farmland, and started a sake brewing business in 1690.
In the Meiji period, the company expanded its business to cotton and banking businesses, and in 1900, built a brewery in Kubo-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo, and began brewing sake in Nada.
At that time, sake made in Nada"Chouyo", sake made locally in Okazaki."Mikawa Samurai"It was.

After that, the brewery began to flourish in Okazaki, producing shochu, mirin, miso, and soy sauce.Most of the storehouse was destroyed in the Okazaki air raid during the Pacific War.
After the war, we rebuilt a miso brewery in Nakamachi, Okazaki City that was left a little bit burnt down, and restarted sake production.

Since our founding, we have started various businesses, but the only thing that has continued from the beginning to the present is the production of sake.
We are still pushing forward with sake brewing with the desire to pass on that history from Okazaki to future generations.

Only those who chase two rabbits will get two rabbits.

Maruishi Jozo's sake, including ``Choyo,'' as well as the ginjo sake ``Tokugawa Ieyasu'' and ``Mikawa Bushi'' made with rice from the local Mikawa region, have long been popular among locals.

While this type of sake is mostly distributed locally, a brand was created in 2015 with the hope that people outside of Aichi Prefecture would be able to drink Maruishi Sake."Nito"It is.

“Only those who chase two rabbits will get two.”Based on the concept of ``taste and aroma,'' ``acidity and flavor,'' ``heavyness and lightness,'' ``sweetness and spiciness,'' ``initiality and aftertaste,'' ``complexity and beauty,'' etc., we create the best balance and taste of two seemingly contradictory things.

The common characteristics of Nito are "freshness", "good aftertaste", and "fusion with food".
The freshness allows you to feel a stable taste from the mouth to the finish, and the pleasant aftertaste leaves you wanting the next cup.
Nito is able to soar to even greater heights by first enjoying alcohol alone and then pairing it with food.

The two rabbits show different expressions depending on their contact with the air, the passage of time, and changes in temperature.“Rather than the glamor of a single glass, I want to drink a bottle of alcohol that shines.”That's what I think.

``Nito'' is a product we are proud of, which was completed after about four years of development through repeated trial and error with the cooperation of local sake specialty stores in the city.。
Due to the delicious taste and the cute label design, word of mouth quickly spread after its creation, and even now it continues to gain many fans all over the country."Two Rabbit Day"He is enjoying a happy life among his fans, such as posting on SNS.

President Fukada,
``The release of Nito has raised the profile of the brewery and made it easier to envision the future.''
As he says, Nito is sure to make great strides as the new face of a brewery with a history of over 300 years.

Year of the Snake label sake “Ni-Rabbit Zodiac Bottle SNAKE & RABBIT Junmai Ginjo Manzai Gojugo Freshly Squeezed Nama Genshu”

President Fukada actually hates snakes.
It seems that he was struggling with whether to erase the snake feeling or not.
And the finished product is this Year of the Snake label, “SNAKE & RABBIT”! !
[Snake Charmer Rabbit VS Puppet Snake Fist Rabbit] is a design that will bring tears to Jackie's generation.
The green snake aiming at the rabbit from behind is in the shape of 2025, making it a very humorous label.♪

Used on this Year of the Snake labelBanzaiThis sake rice is a reproduction rice that was cultivated 100 years ago in the local city of Okazaki, and is a unique sake rice that is used only at Nito, with a large white core and suitable for sake brewing.

The freshly squeezed Nito, which has been refined to 55% mansai, is powerful and refreshing.
Immediately after opening the bottle, the elegant ginjo aroma wafts through the air, and the fresh flavor of rice spreads gently in your mouth, giving you a lively and pleasant feeling.

■Voters' recommendations■

Y・N/Nagano Prefecture

Labels will entertain you even in seasons other than the Year of the Rabbit! This year's "Snake Charmer Rabbit VS Puppet Snake Fist Rabbit"!
I love the concept of “chasing two rabbits or getting two rabbits”! I always enjoy the beautiful transparency, flavor, and sourness!

Mr. M.K/Ehime Prefecture

In 2024, I drank Nito more than ever. Once I realized there was a specialty store nearby, it became my everyday drink. Labels are always great!

■Nito Zodiac Bottle SNAKE & RABBIT Junmai Ginjo Manzai Gojugo Freshly Squeezed Unprocessed Sake Specs■ 

[Maruishi Brewery]
〒444-0015
6-3-3 Nakamachi, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture
TEL: 0564-23-3333
HP:https://014.co.jp/

[2nd place] Mori Sake Brewery

Founded in 1895.
Our warehouse is located in Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, which was once known as "Philando" during the Age of Discovery and was the first port town in Japan to engage in Western trade.
At the beginning of our business, we operated under the trade name "Komatsuya",With the changing times, in the 1950s, the company was incorporated as Mori Sake Brewery Ltd. Currently, the fourth generation, Yukio Mori, is the head of the company.

Yutaro Mori, famous as a young genius master brewer

Mori Sake Brewery is famous for its representative brand ``Hiran'', but it was actually on the verge of going out of business until a few years ago.
What saved the storehouse from such a critical situation wasThis is Yutaro Mori, a young fifth-generation chief brewer.

Yutaro, who majored in brewing science during his university days, started working on restoring the aging brewery when he returned to the brewery.We have returned to the origins of sake brewing.
It is an ancient Japanese sake brewing method.“Kimoto-zukuri”introduced,Paddling, adding water, filteringwithout doing anything like that to improve the taste.Natural sake brewing that relies on the action of yeastI decided to do this.
This results inThe result is sake with a firm core, allowing you to enjoy a stable taste even after opening the bottle.

We are also particular about the raw materials, rice and water.
The water we use is the famous water that gushes out from the foot of Saikyoji Temple, which we have been using since our establishment.
The rice used is Yamada Nishiki from Hirado and Nikomaru edible rice from Nagasaki.
We believe that by not dressing up too much and using local materials, we will be able to circulate to the people who have supported the sake brewery over the years, and continue to spread the word about Hirado's climate and charm.

The sake that was born from this idea is ``Hiran”. 
Regarding the origin of Hiran, the place name of Hirado used to be that the shadow of Hirado island seen from the sea was a divine spirit that turned into a bird.It was named ``Hiran Island'' because it resembles the image of a ``Ran'' taking flight.

There are various types of Hiran, from fruity and light to light and crisp.Starting with winning an award at the National Liquor Awards, it has become so popular that it has been praised not only in Japan but also overseas, including winning the gold medal at the 2021 Clamaster in Paris.
This can also be said to be the result of Yutaro's "curiosity" and "exploratory spirit" in making sake.

Also, speaking of "Hiran", in 2023, Hands-on planned a project on a crowdfunding service specializing in Japanese sake."Our Hiran"It's still fresh in my memory!
Please also read about “Our Hiran”herePlease check it from♪

Year of the Snake label sake “HIRAN RINNETENSHO 2025”

The concept isA story that happens once every 12 years (reincarnation)。

“12 types of rice x Association No. 12 yeast”

A work that tells the fermentation story of 12 types of rice that change every year and the association's No. 12 yeast (Urakasumi yeast).
Until now, the only New Year's drink in the Hiran series was ``Happy New Born,'' but this was born out of the desire to create a drink associated with the zodiac signs.

Yutaro, the master brewer who trained in Urakasumi, is particular about using No. 12 yeast.
By changing the sake rice every year, we are able to enjoy the charm and characteristics of No. 12 yeast.
Also, the sake rice used is not announced in advance and can only be enjoyed after purchase, so if you are interested, please try getting it.♪

This year's sake has a banana-like aroma, a fresh grape or muscat-like flavor, and a strong acidity that gives it a juicy and firm taste.
It has a mix of lees and a gaseous feel, making it a refreshing drink perfect for the New Year!
Please come and experience reincarnation that can only be experienced in that year!

■Voters' recommendations■

Mr. U/Kanagawa Prefecture

The yeast we use is No. 12 yeast, which we have a special relationship with!
We use different rice for sake every year, and with each year being a first-year rice, we are looking forward to seeing how the master brewer brings out the best in Hiran!
It will make you excited to see what kind of sake rice they will use this year!
You can't take your eyes off Mori Sake Brewery, which is evolving every year!

■Hiran HIRAN Reincarnation RINNETENSHO 2025Spec ■

[Mori Sake Brewery]

〒859-5115
31-2 Shinmachi, Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture
TEL: 0950-23-3131
FAX:0950-22-4174
HP:https://mori-shuzou.jp/

List of sake breweries voted in the first round and their favorite voices

A total of 12 breweries were nominated in the first round of voting!
Thank you for participating in the ranking this time! !
Now, please take a look at the results of the first round of voting to discover hidden favorites.♪

voice of encouragement

Mr. N.S/Ishikawa Prefecture

[Oshizake: Okazaki Sake Brewery Shinshu Kirei Mari Label]
I received the 2024 Dragon Label and really liked the taste and the cuteness of the label!
I look forward to the illustrations every year, so I'm looking forward to this one as well.

Mr. S.T/Osaka Prefecture

[Oshizake: Kokuryu Sake Brewery]Black dragon zodiac bottle】By drinking the label of the Year of the Snake, which is the zodiac sign of 2025, with the Black Dragon, you can feel the transition from the Dragon to the Snake more.
The dragon is over, but the black dragon is not over!

Mr. H.W/Ishikawa Prefecture

[Oshizake: Yoshida Sake Brewery Tedorigawa Zodiac Bottle Year of the Snake Daiginjo]
Looks cool!
It's Daiginjo from Tedori River, so the taste is perfect.
I’m looking forward to drinking it on New Year’s Day!

Mr. T.I/Hyogo Prefecture

[Oshizake: Shiraki Kosuke Shoten Daruma Masamune Zodiac Label Year of the Snake Blend]
It is a blend of sake from past Years of the Snake, and has the richness of long-term aging. It tastes like dried fruit.
It's fluffy and delicious on ice cream, with chocolate or nuts, or even hot.

Breakdown of ranking voters

By age group

gender ratio

place of residence

Sake consumption frequency

Summary

What do you think of the ranking suitable for the beginning of 2025?♪

This time's TOP3 are

[1st place]Nishida Sake Brewery “Tazake NEW YEAR Bottle 2025 Junmai Ginjo Namazake”

[2nd place (tie)]

・Maruishi Brewery
“Ni Usagi Zodiac Bottle SNAKE & RABBIT Junmai Ginjo Manzai Gojugo Freshly Squeezed Raw Unprocessed Sake”

・Mori Sake Brewery
“HIRAN RINNETENSHO 2025”

This is the result.

Behind the popularity of Nishida Sake Brewery's sake, which took first place, was President Nishida's efforts to question the ``normality of the industry'' and constantly evolve.
With this, we can be convinced that the deliciousness of rice wine exceeds our expectations every year.

“Nito” is the new face of Maruishi Jozo.
Sake that perfectly balances the contradictory aspects of ``taste and aroma'', ``acidity and flavor'', and ``sweetness and spiciness'' will make you want to experience the taste all over again.

Hiran no Rinne Tensei is a zodiac work made with different sake rice and Kyokai No. 12 yeast each year.
Every year, I want to try drinking sake while being aware of the differences in each type of sake rice and the charm of No. 12 yeast.

The spirit of the sake brewery, its taste, and the special label unique to the year-end and New Year holidays attract many Japanese sake fans, and they are likely to seek out the Zodiac bottle.
I hope everyone drinks the Year of the Snake label this year and makes it a new year of change!

In the future too“Oshizo culture”We will continue to spread the word, so please look forward to the next monthly recommended brewery ranking.♪

You can view past monthly recommended store ranking articles here!
↓　↓　↓

List of past monthly recommended storehouse ranking articles

Which sake would you like to pair with chocolate?

■Next theme: What sake would you like to pair with chocolate?
■Recruitment period:①Primary Oshizo voting period: January 20th to 23rd
② Final voting period: January 25th to 27th (everyone votes for the favorite brewery voted for in ①)

“Then this is definitely the place to go!”If you think so, please join the ranking and vote!
We look forward to your vote!

How can I participate in the monthly ranking?

“I want to spread my Oshizo more!” “I want to share my Oshizo with other people!” etc.
If you are interested in the monthly recommended store ranking, you can easily vote by following the steps below.

Would you like to work together to create a ``Oshigura culture'' and boost the sake industry?

It doesn't matter how famous you are or what prefecture you live in.
We are looking forward to your vote.♪

■Monthly Oshizo ranking recruitment period
①Primary Oshizo voting period: From 20th to 23rd of every month
② Final voting period: 25th to 27th of every month (everyone votes for the favorite brewery voted in ①)
■Tally announcement: Announced on each SNS and website at the beginning of every month.
■Presentation location：
・Hands-on SAKE Instagram
・Aisake Cream Instagram
・Hands-on SAKE HP

STEP 1

Register Hands-on SAKE official LINE.

STEP 2

Open the "Monthly recommended brewery ranking" tab in the menu and tap "Vote for this month's recommended brewery ranking."

STEP 3

Enter the voting details for the primary storehouse.

With the creator"Connect"
The thoughts of the creator"Peek"
our worldview"Spread"

Cheers with a hands-on pose again next time!

Jun sake writer While I am involved in manufacturing, I am also a sake writer.
I discovered the deliciousness of Japanese sake and was completely hooked.
I would like to spread the culture of sake by all means.♪

Hobbies: Glasswork, traveling, futsal

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