Zaku Ho no Tomo

ABV: 15%

Volume: 750ml

Brewery: Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten

Origin:  Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan

Grade: Junmai

Rice Polishing Ratio: 60%

Best Serving Temperature: 7°C - 40°C

Storage: Keep in a cool, dark and dry place

This sake is the perfect companion to white fish and vegetable dishes.

Cod with Pea Purée; Grilled Asparagus with Creamy Herb Sauce; Courgette, Fennel, and Potato Salad

The name ‘Ho no Tomo’ carries several beautiful interpretations.

Literally, it means "the wisdom of rice." Phonetically, it can also be heard as “friend of the rice plant.” Both interpretations offer a nod to the deep connection between sake and rice—without rice, there is no sake.

It also pays tribute to master brewer Tomohiro Uchiyama by including the first character of his name, reflecting the brewery’s hope that he would craft the sake with the same love and care as raising his own child.

Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, makers of the award-winning 'Zaku' brand of sake, was founded in 1869 and is located in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

Suzuka is fortunate to be blessed with a natural environment ideal for sake brewing. Cool, clear water from the Suzuka Mountains springs forth into the vast Ise Plain, where rice of the highest quality grows. It is with this rice and water that Suzuka’s delicious sake has long been made. It is perhaps no coincidence that Japan’s most sacred shrine, Ise Jingu, lies in Mie Prefecture where sake has been long intertwined with Shinto rituals, both an inseparable part of daily life. Even today, those unchanged rituals are still performed at Ise Jingu, with sake fulfilling its role as a sacred drink of the gods. The brewery believes it is their destiny to brew good sake here.

For a deeper exploration of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Brewery, click here.