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Company Name: Sakimoto
Distillery & Co.
Founded: 1901
Address: 1-25 Shuri Torihori Town, Naha City
TEL/FAX: 098-884-1404
Toll Free Number: 0120-78-3910 |
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Thorough awamori-making
made possible by maintaining traditions nurtured during the Ryukyu
period. A popular brand in the local taverns of Shuri.
Shuri was the ancient capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Sakimoto Distillery
has been producing awamori ever since it was founded in 1901,
and the taste of the distilled liquor has remained unchanged over
the years.
Sakimoto is the popular brand name of this distillery. The
idea for the name came up when the second owner of the distillery,
Masayoshi Sakumoto, met with the head of the Tokyo Taxation Bureau
around 1950. (Sakimoto is very close to his name, Sakumoto). Sakimoto
has not conceded to the current boom for 'tanrei' type awamori,
which is easy to drink and refreshing. Instead, it has pursued a
dry taste with a rich flavor and aroma. The distillery has minimized
the use of machinery in order to protect the flavor. Even bottling
is done by hand. The distillery has also refused to succumb to mass
production. The current third owner, Masao Sakumoto, says that the
richness of the liquor is most evident when it is drunk straight,
from sake cups. The facts that the rice is fermented for 20 to 25
days at low temperatures and the liquor is not shipped till a year
later endorse his words. The distillery takes pride in its awamori,
and that pride is shared by all the employees with master distiller,
Ryoei Shikenbaru. The Sakimoto distillery does not produce awamori-it
nurtures it.
Mr. Sakumoto also excels in drawing, and he designs his own labels.
He draws illustrations by hand on wooden labels, and gives suggestions
on how to best preserve the liquor. Some fans even call the distillery
because of their interest in these wooden labels. The distillery
also has many fans outside Okinawa. In particular, it receives many
orders from Niigata, one of Japan's most popular sake production
areas. Sakimoto tastes best on the rocks after a hot bath.
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