Takashimizu Haru no Junmai Namachozōshu

Takashimizu Haru no Junmai Namachozōshu (高清水 春の純米 生貯蔵酒) is made of domestic rice grown in Akita Prefecture and brewed with traditional No. 6 yeast using the soft "cold water". It is traditionally produced in the year's cold season (小寒 shōkan, lit. "mild coldness") when the brewers strive for the ideal Akita-style cold brewing. The Haru no Junmai is released just as spring finally begins to bud in the snow country of Akita. It has a fresh aroma, good acidity, a full-bodied flavour, and a fresh and light mouthfeel. Pairing it with light dishes such as seafood and wild vegetables is recommended.

Akita Shurui Shuzō is located in Akita City and was founded in 1944 when twelve breweries were merged into one, as were most other small and medium-sized companies in the final period of the Second World War to overcome the war-time shortage of ingredients. In 1950, the main brewery resumed operations. Nowadays, Akita Shurui Seizoh has two production facilities in Akita and a rice polishing facility. The brewery has two labels, "Takashimizu" (高清水) for the Japanese market and "Shimizu-no-mai" for the U.S. market.

"Takashimizu" was chosen from 5,037 submissions and means "high spring water". In Akita City, "Takashimizu Hill" is famous for its spring water. According to legend, the sacred spring started gushing in the middle of the 7th​ century; the area is also known as the location of Akita Castle, one of the biggest citadels in the extreme north of Japan.

Awards:

Akita Shurui Shuzō has been awarded Gold medals at the Annual Japan New Sake Awards for fifteen years (as of 2014). Goshono Brewery received Gold medals for eleven years. The brewery was awarded Gold medals at the Tohoku Sake Awards for nineteen consecutive years. During these nineteen years, it won the Top Honour Award five times.