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Company name: Mizuho Distillery
Co., Ltd.
Founded: 1848
Address: 4-5-16 Shuri Sueyoshi Town, Naha City
TEL: 098-885-0121
FAX: 098-885-0202 |
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The Mizuho Distillery,
with a 154-year history, has the prefecture's largest underground
storage tank to mature high quality kusu.
Since its foundation in 1848, this old establishment has been preserving
its traditional techniques that date back to the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The distillery is based in Shuri, which was the capital of the kingdom.
During World War II, it engaged in the manufacture of awamori
in Burma for two years, according to orders from the War Department.
In 1949, just after the war, it built a factory capable of producing
180,000 liters of awamori. Three years later, to further
establish itself as an enterprise, the distillery became a limited
company.
Its main brand, Mizuho, has a flamboyant and rich aroma,
as well as a refreshing and mild flavor. The distillery also produces
a unique awamori called Suiten, which is matured to
background music to further refine its taste. While liquor and processed
foods are being matured, music is modified into musical vibrations
using a 'bodysonic transducer' and then sent to the tanks. The distiller
says that the organic sound waves of classical music nurture a tastier
awamori.
The fourth generation owner, Yusho Tamanaha, says the distinctive
features of different types of koji define the taste of the
distilled liquor. The distillery decides whether the awamori
should be sold as new or matured liquor after seeing how the mash
turns out. The awamori is also tasted to determine whether
it should be placed in earthenware pots, tanks or barrels for maturing.
The distillery has an underground tank in Shuri that can hold up
to 640,000 liters of awamori. It's the largest underground
facility in Okinawa. The distillery, with its history of more than
150 years, has also kept up the old 'shitsugi' technique
to produce kusu.
The Mizuho Distillery is now also an interesting tourist spot. With
its policy of continuing to produce only high quality liquor, it
welcomes visitors with real hospitality. They are taken to see the
storage rooms and invited to taste the awamori in a special
tasting room. |
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