You can find sake all over the world, but Japanese startup WAKAZE has started an initiative to offer people different types of sake perfectly brewed to match each season of the year. Called Shikizake (Four Season Sake), these four brews were all made from the same rice and yeast, and were all initially prepared in the same tank.

11736_01

Source: Makuake

WAKAZE explains that even the same brew of sake changes flavor as time passes, creating a completely new taste depending on when it is imbibed. Considering the Japanese have a tradition of cherishing the various kinds of food and events each season has to offer, the idea to give people the opportunity to enjoy a different bottle of sake every season is ingenious.

Shikizake comes in four different brews — Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. WAKAZE has made sure that each bottle is characteristic of the season they are distributed in.

Spring

Feel the onset of a new season with this freshly brewed, pure (undiluted) sake. A fruity brew, the balance of sweet and acidic is perfect for the sakura season.

11736_02

Source: Makuake

Summer

Alleviate the summer heat with this refreshing sparkling sake. Carbonated and light, the sweetness of this brew is characteristic of Japanese sake. Due to difficulties in preservation, this brew of sake rarely makes it out into the market.

11736_03

Source: Makuake

Fall

An aged brew best enjoyed during fall, the season for eating. Called akiagari, it is aged until autumn, making it most flavorful during this time. Best matched with mackerel pikes and other fall delicacies.

11736_04

Source: Makuake

Winter

Wrap up the year with this wine barrel-aged bottle, perfect for parties. Its voluptuous aroma resembles that of wines, and its distinct acidity will make you wonder if it is really made out of rice. Like the Summer brew, this sake is rarely seen on the market and has a very high scarcity value.

11736_05

Source: Makuake

If you order these bottles, WAKAZE will make sure each one is delivered to you in time to enjoy the season. They’ll also be sent with tips on how best to drink them, or how to use them in your favorite dishes.

If you’re that not familiar with the taste of sake and are hesitant to buy the bottles, WAKAZE also has a cocktail kit with which you can make the most enticing concoctions from the booklet included in the set. It’ll help you get used to the taste of sake, and the goodies included in the kit are gorgeous!

11736_06

Source: Makuake

11736_07

Source: Makuake

They are currently collecting funds on their crowdfunding site (Japanese), so if you’re dying to try these bottles, it’s not too late to pitch in.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.