Tucked in a small town called Yamashima beside the Tedori River, brushed by the clear and cold air from Mt. Hakusan, is Tedorigawa Brewery (aka Yoshida Brewery) a 154-year-old, family-owned brewery specializing in the Yamahai brewing method. This method relies on the lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the atmosphere of the brewery, rather than manually adding it and is incredibly labor intensive. Tedorigawa is one of the few remaining breweries that still employ the traditional system of workers living on site in isolation for the entirety of the brewing season. Come October, the handful of men involved in production say goodbye to their loved ones and travel north to Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture to spend six months producing Tedorigawa in the same way they have for countless generations. In 2015, Yoshida Brewery appeared in a renowned documentary film, The Birth of Sake, which beautifully captured this sacred time.

The Yamahai brewing style emphasizes flavor, characterized by explosive aromatics, depth of flavor, and a subtle wildness. As global drinking trends move in favor of flavor forward beverages, this style of sake has a major opportunity on the international stage, especially with younger generations. Additionally, a major generational shift is happening as elder Tojis (master brewers) age out of the profession and their successors take the helm. So is the case at Tedorigawa where Toji Yashuyuki Yoshida is the 6th generation of his family to produce this traditional style of sake. The careful tweaks Yashuyuki is making at the family business are informed by his global perspective on drinking culture. Inspired by the natural wine movement and the concept of terroir, Tedorigawa is working toward producing a sake composed of 100% locally grown rice, local unprocessed water, and local yeast. This would be a real expression of their specific location, a rarity in the sake world.

We currently stock two sakes from Tedorigawa:

“U” U-Nique! – Tingling pink grapefruit acidity and lovely pear aroma at first sip, with a svelte texture achieved through the yamahai brewing method. We like to say it’s sake for Sauvignon Blanc drinkers!

Classification: Junmai
Rice variety: Ishikawamon
Yeast: House Yeast (Kanazawa Lineage)
Brewing method: Yamahai
Polishing ratio: 60%
Alcohol: 13%
Acidity: 1.2
SMV: -1.0

Yamahai Daiginjo Sake “Chrysanthemum Meadow” – Enticing imprint of honey and herbs at first sip, segueing at mid-range into a sake of surprising clarity. Supple, racy and eminently drinkable over long periods of time.

Classification: Daiginjo
Rice variety: Yamadanishiki, 500Mangoku
Yeast: House Yeast (Kanazawa Lineage)
Brewing method: Yamahai
Polishing ratio: 45%
Alcohol: 15-16%
Acidity: 1.2
SMV: +5.0