Shirataki Sake Brewery was founded in 1855 by Minatoya Tosuke in Echigo Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, harnessing pristine meltwater from the surrounding mountains of Japan's famous Snow Country. The region receives up to 15 meters of snow each winter, which melts slowly into the earth over 40 to 50 years and emerges as mineral-rich, impurity-free groundwater that shapes the brewery's characteristically crisp and clean sake. Shirataki is best known for its Jozen Mizunogotoshi label, which embodies the Niigata ginjo ideal of elegant restraint, and the brewery has continued to expand its range to reach new audiences both domestically and internationally.
