Kumamoto City

One of the most thriving areas of Japan’s Kyushu region, Kumamoto has a strong history of alcohol production. Not just in the nation’s favorite tipple of sake but also in another national beverage of shochu, not to mention craft beer producers that have emerged in recent years. You can find over 40 breweries of different kinds in Kumamoto, including 13 that belong to the Kumamoto Sake and Shochu Makers Association. Here is a pick of the finest. Kameman Shuzo The southernmost sake brewery in all of Japan has a fascinating history. It was started by a local doctor in 1916 to use up the surplus rice he kept receiving as payment for medical services in the area. The brewery produces various sake types, including the premium honjozo-shu blend. Sake is brewed using the nantan kori jimoki method using ice. Website: https://www.kameman.co.jp/ Zuiyo Sake Brewery Believed to be Kumamoto’s oldest brewery, the Zuiyo brewery started in 1867 as a producer of akazake, a unique type of “red sake” distinct to Kumamoto. The brewery was also the former base of the Kumamoto Prefecture Sake Institute until it relocated in 1922. The high-quality sake created here results from close work with local rice…