Black Market Sake : Mukai Shuzo, Kyoto, Japan

Mukai Shuzo is a tiny brewery with an exceptionally long history having been founded in 1754 and is still a family run business today. The current Toji [Master Brewer] is Kuniko Mukai who is the eldest daughter of the Kuramoto [Brewery Owner] Yoshihisa Mukai. Kuniko left her hometown to study fermentation and brewing techniques at Tokyo University of Agriculture and after graduation spent one year as a brewery worker before assuming the role of Toji at her family's brewery in 1998. Kuniko was one of the first women Master Brewers in Japan at the young age of 22, and by becoming Toji at Mukai kept alive the family-run tradition at their brewery that has now been brewing for 266 years. She is an exceptionally creative brewer who makes Sake that are unique to her style.

While studying fermentation and brewing techniques at Tokyo University, Kuniko met Professor Takeda who encouraged her to create a Sake made from the red rice he knew grew locally in Kuniko's hometown area of Ine. Professor Takeda also emphasised that the most important thing in Sake brewing is the balance of flavours, with sweetness and acidity in harmony. In May 2000 Kuniko launched her first ever red rice Sake called ‘Ine Mankai’ or ‘Ine in full bloom’. Also that year Kuniko brewed another incredibly unique Sake called Natsu no Omoide. This Sake was created using an ancient strain of yeast given to her at Nodai University and is know as the ‘100 year yeast’. A strain of yeast that had been propagated for over a 100 years. Now 20 years old this Sake has developed into an incredible drink.

As the town of Ine is limited for space the tiny Mukai brewery consists of two small buildings one on the waters edge with the other separated by a small road. One building is where the rice is washed, soaked and steamed before spending time in the koji room also housed in the building. All of the washing, soaking and steaming of the rice is done vertically as the space at the brewery is at such a premium. After the koji [inoculated rice] is ready, it has to be carried across the road to the other brewery building that contains the tanks for fermentation.