Rikyu Gura is based in Sakai. Sakai used to be "one of the leading Sake brewing area in Japan" in the Edo period, comparable to the Nada (Hyogo Prefecture) and the Fushimi (Kyoto Prefecture). By the Meiji era (1868-1912), there were more than 95 sake breweries in Sakai, and the city was known as one of the most famous sake-producing areas in Japan, and until the Taisho era (1912-1926), the sake brewing industry was the leading manufacturing industry in Sakai. The Asahi Beer's founder, Komakichi Torii, was also a major contributor to distribution innovations, inventing Japan's first bottled sake. The idea was conceived in Sakai. In this way, our predecessors created many 'Japan's firsts'. Sakai's sake brewing industry peaked in the Taisho era (1912-1926), but declined in the Showa era (1926-1989), and in 1971 one of the remaining breweries closed its doors. But local leaders with a passionate desire to revive sake brewing in Sakai, relocated a brewery from Higashinada and established Sakai Izumi Shuzo in 2014. In fact, this was the first revival of local sake in 44 years.

The brewing water is spring water from the local Mt Kongo spring in Osaka. According to historical legend, monks practising asceticism on Mt Kongo overcame their hardships by drinking this spring water. It is also loved by the local people as famous water, and is the source of local specialities such as sake, tofu and konnyaku. The famous water that has nurtured this history is the source of Sen no Rikyu.

The main rice used in Rikyu Gura is Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo Prefecture boasts the highest production of Yamada Nishiki in Japan and is also one of the country's top producers in terms of quality. The reason for this is that the natural conditions in Hyogo are extremely suitable for growing Yamada-Nishiki. The Yamada-Nishiki production area, which extends into the mountains north of Mt Rokko, has the perfect climatic conditions: warm, with long hours of sunshine and little rainfall. Rokko, the night temperature during the ripening period is low, with a daily temperature difference of more than 10°C, which helps the rice to produce a good crop. The soil is also said to be rich in phosphorus and magnesium, which makes the grain tighter and the white core brighter.

“We have rebuilt a brewery in Sakai, and with the hope that our sake will help to create a vibrant town and become a symbol of the town... With this in mind, we have named our signature brand 'Sen no Rikyu' after St.Rikyu, who was born in this area and who established the tea ceremony.”

Sennorikyu Junmai

Come and taste Sennorikyu Junmai at USA Trade Tasting. “Slightly sweet, with a taste that brings out the full flavour of the mellow rice and a pleasant aftertaste that keeps you drinking forever. This sake produces a calm, refreshing and clean throat. It is an excellent partner for healthy, low-salt dishes such as dashimaki egg rolls and cabbage rolls.”.

Companies that are exhibiting at the 2024 USA Trade Tasting are Hayashi Syuzoujo Co., Ltd.    

CORTESE Co., Ltd., Sake Flight LLC (Importer) showing SAKE Generation Inc. and Hachijuni Link Nagano Co., Ltd., Marukai Corporation, Rikyu Gura Co., Ltd., Wismettac Asian Foods Inc., JCTO Japan Inc, Amabuki Shuzo Co., Ltd., CHOYA USA Inc., MUJEN Spirits, Inc. See all USATT exhibiting companies here.

There will be masterclasses hosted by sake association from 2pm to 3pm on May 22 and the second one from 2pm to 3pm on May 23. The masterclass is on the first come basis, so please be sure to grab your sit 15 minutes before it starts.

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USA Trade Tasting would like to invite importers, distributors, retailers, sommeliers, bartenders of USA to experience sake like never before. These producers are looking for importers and distributors and are ready to invest in the US market to grow the partnership.

You will need a visitor expo floor ticket to attend the masterclass and the expo floor where you will be able to meet the producers. If you have not secured a USATT expo floor tickets, please get it here.