TOKYO >> Doburoku, an unfiltered sake, is experiencing a renaissance. New brewers have joined long-­established sake breweries to produce the sweet rice wine, creating products with unique flavors and fragrances using fruit and other ingredients.

All other sake is said to originate from doburoku, which is cloudy in appearance and thick in texture. Many doburoku products are also slightly effervescent.

Heiwa Doburoku Kabu­tocho Brewery, a Tokyo pub in Chuo ward that opened in June, serves doburoku brewed in-store, along with snacks. It is operated by Wakayama prefecture-based brewery Heiwa Shuzou, known for its Kid sake brand.

“Doburoku has been produced since ancient times, but many people are not familiar with it,” said Norimasa Yamamoto, 44, brewery president. “We want to offer a fresh experience of drinking an old yet new beverage.”

The pub offers more than 10 flavors, including strawberry and hops, for about $4 per 2.4-ounce drink. Doburoku sometimes includes a bit of rice grain, the main ingredient for making sake. The drink boasts a refreshing, umami-rich flavor.

“There is a pleasure in creating flavors as you like and doing things by hand,” said Yamamoto. “I especially want people who don’t drink sake very often to give it a try.”

Popular craft drinks

Although consumption and production of alcoholic drinks is on the wane in Japan, doburoku seems to be attracting more and more attention, and the number of doburoku makers is on the rise, partly due to the popularity of small craft breweries that create distinctive products.

Nihonshu Hotaru, an izakaya pub in Kanda, Tokyo, began brewing doburoku in-store in 2016. Its menu includes doburoku sours, cocktails mixed with citrus juice, as part of an effort to provide different ways to enjoy the sake.

“Our customers are happy to be able to drink freshly brewed alcohol,” said the pub’s owner. “They say (doburoku) tastes better than they expect. We have a growing number of repeat customers.”

Lagoon Brewery Inc. in Niigata was established in 2021 by Yosuke Tanaka, 43, former president of the Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery Co.

Lagoon Brewery produces more than 2,375 gallons of doburoku a year under the Shoku brand using locally grown rice. The sake comes in 24-ounce bottles that go for about $20 to $25. Some products sell out as soon as they hit the shelves.

“Our products appeal not only to connoisseurs but also to people who like new things,” Tanaka said.

In Hofu, Yamaguchi prefecture, a fairly new organization promotes doburoku. In 2019, the Nihon Dento Doburoku Kenkyujo began its work certifying instructors of Japanese sake culture and offering workshops on the production and sale of doburoku in Hofu. It also brews its own doburoku.

Culinary pairings

Yukiko Hirano, a cook and certified instructor of sake culture, offered basic suggestions for pairing doburoku with home-style dishes.

Cheese and cream sauce dishes are a good place to start, she said, since their rich flavors and mild textures parallel doburoku.

Korean, Thai and other spicy cuisine are also suited to doburoku; its gentle, bubbly mouthfeel leaves the palate refreshed.

“Take advantage of doburoku’s effervescence and light sour taste, and the thickness and sweetness brought by the rice,” said Hirano.