Hanaizumi Sake Brewery in Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture, may be the only brewery in Japan that applies the mochi rice four-stage process to every label in its lineup, adding steamed glutinous rice as a fourth step after the standard three-stage fermentation to build deep umami and a signature gentle sweetness. The brewery uses 100% Aizu-grown rice, mills in-house, and employs the Fukushima-developed Utsukushima Dream yeast, with all staff drawn from the local Minamiaizu community.
