Furosen

Established in 1862 on the northwestern shore of Lake Biwa in Takashima, Shiga, Uehara Shuzo produces Furosen, whose name means Fountain of Youth, using some of the most labor-intensive methods in Japanese brewing. Brewers forgo cultivated yeasts, allowing wild fermentation to proceed at its own pace, and press the sake using only rocks and gravity rather than machinery. The brewery grows around 80 percent of its rice locally and polishes every grain in-house, believing that hands-on control at every stage is the key to expressive, umami-rich sake.