Sadaijin

Ootone Shuzo, nestled in the mountain village of Okutone in Gunma Prefecture, traces its roots to the mid-Edo period and has held fast to a local sake-brewing style shaped by the surrounding nature and climate. The brewery is strikingly handcraft-focused, with only two machines on the premises and everything else done by hand under president Tsunenori Abe. Sadaijin, named in tribute to a literary and martial master of the late Heian period, is best known for its refreshing Junmaishu, which balances rice umami and sweetness in a style suited to the table.