A little late to this story, but it’s in keeping with the recent cherry blossom theme and highlights a prefecture that doesn’t get as much time in the sake spotlight – Saga.
The prefecture has set out its wares in Tokyo and is celebrating spring with a slightly unusual twist: a pool full of cherry blossom petals. Press release site PR Times has the details.
The event is organised by the Saga Products Promotion Public Corporation, which as its name suggests exists to promote produce from the prefecture, in collaboration with promoter Afro & Co. The Sakura Chill Bar occupied the Zerobase Omotesando location in Tokyo’s Omotesando district between 1 and 11 March 2018, and is now at the Jonai Square cafe from 1 to 22 April 2018.
Visitors can choose between four categories of sake, with five or six different labels offered for each one – all from Saga – along with a range of small dishes all made from Saga’s local produce.
Sweet: Shidarezakura (“weeping” cherry tree)
- Amabuki brewery: Amabuki junmai daiginjō Jugem nama
- Kiyama Shoten: Kihōtsuru amakuchi junmai ginjō
- Komatsu brewery: Manrei junmai ginjō Nozomi
- Munemasa brewery: Hana Munemasa junmai ginjō -15
- Setō brewery: junmai daiginjō Azumacho
- Minematsu brewery: Hizen Hamashuku junmai ginjō muroka genshu
Dry: Yamazakura (mountain cherry tree)
- Azumatsuru brewery: Azumatsuru tokubetsu junmai
- Hiwatashi brewery junmai Marichō
- Matsu-ura Ichi brewery: junmai daiginjō Matsu-ura Ichi
- Ide brewery: tokubetsu junmai Ureshino-jizake Kotō
- Yano brewery: Hizen Kuragokoro tokubetsu junmai chō-karakuchi namagenshu
Fresh: Somei yoshino (“classic” cherry tree that develops leaves after flowers)
- Yamato brewery: Yamato Haru no Umi junmai ginjō nama
- Tenzan brewery: Shichida junmai origarami (sake which has just been pressed and fine particles have not yet settled)
- Narutaki brewery: Jurakutaikō junmai sparkling
- Koimari brewery: Koimari Saki junmai ginjō
- Baba brewery: Nogomi junmai ginjō arabashiri
- Fukuchiyo brewery: Nabeshima junmai ginjō Yamada Nishiki
Rich: Yaezakura (multi-layered cherry blossoms/flowers with more than 5 petals)
- Mado-no-ume brewery: tokubetsu junmai Mado-no-ume
- Matsuno brewery: Miyanomatsu junmai ginjō
- Gochōda brewery: Azumaichi Yamada Nishiki junmai ginjō
- Sachihime brewery: junmai ginjō Sachihime DEAR MY PRINCESS
- Mitsutake brewery: tezukuri junmai Mitsutake
Links
- Original article (Japanese, PR Times, 1 March 2018) Click through to see photos of the bar and cherry petal “pool”, plus the four cherry blossom logos used to classify the sake.
- Saga Products Promotion Public Corporation (Japanese)
- Afro & Co. (Japanese)
- Sakura Chill Bar promotional page (Japanese) More photos and video.
- Amabuki brewery (Japanese)
- Amabuki brewery (English)
- Kiyama Shoten/Kihotsuru (Japanese)
- Komatsu brewery/Manrei (Japanese)
- Munemasa brewery (Japanese)
- Setō brewery/Azumachō (Japanese)
- Setō brewery/Azumachō (English)
- Minematsu brewery (Japanese)
- Azumatsuru brewery (Japanese)
- Matsu-ura Ichi brewery (Japanese)
- Yano brewery (Japanese)
- Yamato brewery (Japanese)
- Tenzan brewery (Japanese)
- Tenzan brewery (English)
- Koimari brewery (Japanese)
- Koimari brewery (English)
- Baba brewery/Nogomi (Japanese)
- Fukuchiyo brewery/Nabeshima (Japanese)
- Mado-no-ume brewery (Japanese)
- Matsuno brewery/Miyanomatsu (Japanese)
- Gochōda brewery/Azumaichi (Japanese)
- Sachihime brewery (Japanese)
- Mitsutake brewery (Japanese)