Shizuoka Hiraki Junmai

Shizuoka Hiraki Junmai (喜平 静岡蔵謹醸 純米酒) is made of Gohyakumangoku rice milled to 60%. It is a staple product of Shizuoka Hiraki Brewery, brewed since the brewery was founded, and its quality improves yearly. It is easy to drink with meals and has a light and refreshing taste.

Shizuoka Hiraki Brewery was founded in 2012 at the mouth of the Abe River, which runs through Shizuoka City. It is one of the smallest breweries in the prefecture. One reason the brewery was established in Shizuoka was the quality of the Abegawa water. Shizuoka Hiraki's predecessor, Hirashimaya (平島屋), started as a rice merchant in Kakegawa in the early Meiji period and expanded its business to Suruga, Totomi, and Mikawa. After starting sake brewing in Nito-cho, Kakegawa, the company also expanded to Shizuoka. However, sake breweries were scattered across multiple locations, and sake brewing in Shizuoka's warm climate was an extremely difficult challenge, given the technology and facilities available at the time.

In the 1960s, the brewery's sake production was concentrated in Okayama Prefecture, where high-quality sake rice was grown. After that, in Okayama, Hiraki Brewery (平喜酒造) produced brands such as "Shinkon" (新婚), "Shōgun " (将軍) and "Kihei" (喜平) and continues to operate today. Meanwhile, in Shizuoka, the brewery has been selling the Kihei brand under the name "Hiraki Shōten" (平喜商店). As brewing technology has continued to develop in recent years and the ability to control the brewing environment has improved, the brewers wanted to resume sake brewing in Shizuoka, so finally, in 2012, Shizuoka Heiiraki Brewery was founded.

The brewery uses pristine underground water from the Abe River, a renowned first-class river within the Southern Alps water system. This exceptional water source, a cornerstone of sake brewing, significantly influences the final product's character. The brewery's history dates back to the Edo period when Abegawa's flood control efforts facilitated the surrounding area's growth. The river's immaculate soft water and the readily available underground source proved ideal for sake production. The brewery adheres to the traditional "junmai" method, eschewing the common practice of adding brewing alcohol to the mash. While yielding a smaller output, this approach allows the brewery to focus on the unique flavours inherent to the rice.