Originally published in the February issue of Nikkei Voice, 2012.
“Izumi of the North”, Toronto’s favourite — and only — locally brewed sake is now in 70 LCBO stores.
Brewed by the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company, the first eastern North American sake brewery, the domestic Japanese rice wine has expanded into more LCBO stores from its initial limited number vintage release last September. Along with its signature Nama-nama (unpasteurized) and Nama-cho (once pasteurized) sake, the Toronto Distillery District brewery is also introducing two special limited edition sakes: Demodori Musume and Teion Sakura.
Demodori Musume is a clean, light tasting sake with fruity, citrus notes. As its name suggests (Demodori Musume means a daughter who returned home after a divorce), the sake’s sharp yet undiluted flavour comes from a slow recovery after being shocked by chilling temperature during fermentation. The ‘healing’ period is what brings out the sake’s best traits. Teion Sakura, the cold cherry blossom, was fermented at low temperatures using more koji rice malt than rice. The Company compares its rich, full-bodied taste to fine white wine. Both sakes are available in 300ml and 1.8 Litre bottles.
“Ontario has really good water source, and some of the water quality is actually similar to some of the renowned water sources in Japan too,” said Kazuto Hayashi, general manager of Ontario Spring Water Sake Company. The water source OSWSC uses is just outside of Huntsville. Hayashi describes the spring water to be a perfect blend of Miyamizu water, a harder more mineral-rich water from Ninomiya City, and the softer, equally sought-after Fushimi water in Kyoto –- the two premier water sources for brewing sake in Japan.
Since sake is 80 percent water, it’s considered the most crucial ingredient in determining how the final product will taste, Hayashi says. Softer water with fewer minerals typically makes smoother and more elegant sakes. Meanwhile, harder water makes bolder-tasting wines.
OSWSC distills Izumi through traditional methods using carefully washed and milled rice and steaming it to create a firm exterior with a soft centre. The rice is then cooled by hand tossing and kneading to the proper temperature. The consulting brewmaster, Yoshiko Takahashi, an award-winning toji from Nagano, Japan, assesses the texture of the rice and how it should be brewed. When mixed with yeast, chilled spring water and koji in the fermentation tank, the concoction is left fermenting for 21 days. The temperature of the tank is then carefully monitored during this period to ensure the sake maintains its ideal flavour.
“There’s no specific category for the techniques, it comes more with the experience,” Hayashi said. “So each time using the yeast, or how long it’s fermented, all the different process makes the uniqueness.”
OSWSC began selling its first batch of sake in the spring of last year under the advisory assistance of Japanese sake giant, Miyasaka Brewing Co., Ltd. Ken Valvur, Canada’s sushi king, and founder of the largest sushi company in Canada, Bento Noveau, founded OSWSC in 2010. Valvur acquired the palate for sake while working for Scotia Capital in Japan. As a representative for Canada for Miyasaka, he successfully brought MASUMI sakes to LCBO shelves. Since fresh, unpasteurized sake is particularly difficult to import (LCBO only carries around 50 kinds of sakes out of the tens of thousands brewed in Japan according to Hayashi), Valvur decided to start his own domestic sake operation.
Hayashi, formerly a representative for Miyasaka in Ontario, received his sake brewery operations training in Nagano while working for Japan’s largest brewer, Gekkeikan.
As of January, the Company announced its freshly pressed batch #17; the first batch brewed by Takahashi-toji’s disciple, Greg Newton, a microbiologist and graduate of the University of Guelph. Takahashi recently returned to Japan after fulfilling her role as a consultant. #17 is also one of the first batches of the year, distilled in a cold winter climate considered to be perfect for sake. At the very least, the premium home brew should whet many locavores and connoisseurs’ appetites and have them sipping for seconds.