Aizu is a basin sandwiched between the Echigo Mountains and the Ou Mountains, with deep snow in winter and severe heat in summer. This climate with different temperatures, the large rivers that flow into the Sea of Japan, and the fertile land grow good quality and delicious rice. Hanaharu uses 100% Aizu rice for sake brewing. We believe that Aizu's local sake can only be made from Aizu rice. Rice grown in the nature of Aizu, which is hot and humid in summer and cold in winter, may resemble Aizu people. Hanaharu's main product, which develops pure rice sake, is Maihime, a variety that is resistant to the cold and has a large body. For Junmai Daiginjo Sake and Daiginjo Sake, we use "Yume no Kaori", a rice suitable for sake brewing in Fukushima Prefecture.

Hanaharu is proud of 100% self-polished rice. The machine prevents the rice grains from cracking during rice milling, and the rice is slowly and carefully milled at a low temperature so that the rice does not deteriorate. In addition, it is a luxury unique to self-polished rice that the rice can be sifted again to align the grains. Hanaharu's sake, which is particular about rice polishing, has the flavor of rice.

The round mark on the rice bag is the mark of the grade of rice, first-class rice. We use 49% polished rice "Yume no Kaori" suitable for sake brewing in Fukushima prefecture. Since 51% of the rice is scraped, the grains become round. The central part of sake rice, Shinpaku, is left behind.

If the rice is still milled, it will have rice bran, etc., so we will perform the "rice washing" work. In the cold, the brewers wash it carefully by hand using cold water. It is shared and done quickly and with good rhythm. It seems that it is not good if you wash it too much or soak it in water too much.

Steam the rice washed with a large razor. While spreading it evenly using a machine, cool it so that the aspergillus can easily grow and sprinkle the seed koji. Measure the temperature firmly. We aim to make sake more delicious by balancing what is done by the brewer's hands and what is done by the machine.

Jiuqu brewing is said to be the most important in sake brewing. The room called Muro / Jiuqu room is located at the end of a heavy door with strict temperature and humidity control. Steamed and seeded rice is lined up in the machine, and aspergillus is propagated.

"Cut back" is performed so that the temperature during breeding does not rise too much. An "automatic koji making machine" is used, but in the end, the brewer's hands check the feeling and loosen it. After that, the Jiuqu that has been worked in the Jiuqu room is spread and dried. This is called "de-jiuqu". And the pure white Jiuqu is completed.

Mix steamed rice, sake mother, and koji to make moromi. When fermented, it has the taste and aroma of sake. At Hanaharu, we use "Himehan-zukuri," which is made from porridge-shaped rice. This makes it easier to manage proper temperature control and agitation with a computer program.

In addition, large-scale fermentation is also carried out at low temperatures to maintain good sake quality, and even ordinary sake has a ginjo aroma. And squeezing is also done at low temperature. It is no exaggeration to say that the polite treatment of any sake is in the Daiginjo class.

It is a method of hanging a liquor bag containing mash and collecting naturally dripping drops (raw sake), which is also called "tobintori". Since no pressure is applied, the sake has a delicate taste with no unpleasant taste and a gorgeous aroma. It is a luxurious method that is done manually by the brewers without using a machine, and is used for exhibited sake and Junmai Daiginjo.

Most of our brewing is done with Himehan brewing.
Kake rice is steamed, cooled, and then the rice jiuqu and enzyme are added and pumped to the fermentation building, where it is prepared in three stages. The moromi mash made in the next building is sent back to this building and squeezed, and separated into raw sake and sake lees. Raw sake is sent to the storage building by piping.

This is the place to do the bottling work. Filling machines and stoppers can be used for filling from 1.8 liters to small and medium-sized bottles and 180 ml by exchanging attachments.
You can fill 7,000 1.8ℓ in one day.

All use groundwater. The brewing industry needs water to do anything. Not only do we prepare sake, but we also use a large amount of water, from split water to bottles and washings. Our well is a deep well of about 100m, and pumps 300 tons of underground water from Mt. It has cleared 40 items of water quality inspection. You can drink the groundwater flowing near the shop entrance.

There is a "direct sales shop Kouzashi-gura" in the office building of Hanaharu Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. Here, you can see the products directly, taste them, and then purchase them. There is an assortment of products unique to the brewery, and some products can only be purchased here. Try to find your favorite one.