{"title":"Ito Brewery","description":"\u003cp\u003eIto Gōshi, the brewery behind \"Shikishima\" (敷嶋), closed its doors in 2000 and was brought back to life by its ninth-generation owner, Yu Ito. His father, the eighth generation, made the decision to close while Ito was still in high school. He was underage at the time, had no real familiarity with sake, and went off to university without ever quite feeling the weight of what had happened. After graduating, he joined NTT Docomo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/8566\/4497\/files\/ito-brewery-store.jpg?v=1790169774\" alt=\"Ito Brewery, Handa, Aichi\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe turning point came in 2014, at the funeral of his grandfather, the seventh generation. Late that night, standing in front of the coffin, he drank a bottle of unpasteurized \"Shikishima\" — brewed before the closure and kept in a refrigerator for fourteen years. That fourteen-year-old nama was astonishingly good, and with the shock came a single thought: it would be a waste, and a genuine shame, to let this sake disappear. That feeling became his decision to walk the thorny path of reviving the brewery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/8566\/4497\/files\/ito-brewery-ito-san.jpg?v=1790169774\" alt=\"Yu Ito, ninth-generation owner of Ito Brewery\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe style Shikishima is chasing is what Ito calls \"an elegant gorilla\" — clean sweet umami, but big-boned, powerful and rich. Most of the range sits at 18% ABV. At a time when the industry is moving steadily towards lower alcohol, the deliberate choice to brew sake with this much drinking presence is genuinely interesting, and it makes you want to cheer him on. It happens to be a style we like ourselves, and we want to back what Ito is attempting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe has not stopped at the brewing. He is also working on how to put the site — more than 1,800 tsubo, roughly 6,000 square metres — to use for the surrounding area. In 2024 he opened it as a complex housing a café, a shop and a restaurant, so that people from the town can use the grounds. Rather than reviving the kura simply as a place that makes sake, he is regenerating it as a place where people gather and new exchanges begin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/8566\/4497\/files\/ito-brewery-map.jpg?v=1790169773\" alt=\"Map of the Ito Brewery site\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"shikishima-tokubetsu-junmai-yamadanishiki-yeast-8-unpasteurized","title":"Shikishima Tokubetsu Junmai Yamadanishiki Yeast#8 Unpasteurized","description":"\u003ch3\u003eNostalgic Caramel Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAromas of dried mango open the nose, developing into a sweet, caramel-like character as the sake warms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the palate, mellow umami comes first, followed by a fine, rich acidity that gradually spreads across the palate. Soft rice-derived umami lingers gently, while a touch of citrus-like bitterness keeps the finish clean and balanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSweetness, umami, acidity, and bitterness come together beautifully, making this an effortlessly drinkable sake that seems to disappear before you know it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SAKE Street - Craft SAKE Online Store","offers":[{"title":"720ml","offer_id":48821286404337,"sku":"SA-SHIKISHIMA-TJM-YAMADANISHIKI-Y8-720","price":69.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/8566\/4497\/files\/shikishima-tokubetsu-junmai-yamadanishiki-nama-8goukoubo-2025by_large_762dc1f1-2ce5-4fba-83d4-719fbbd097b6.webp?v=1789990813"},{"product_id":"sa-shikishima-natsu-720","title":"Shikishima Natsumeku","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eClean, Refreshing, with a Bitter Finish\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eA clear, crisp appearance sets the tone for this refreshing sake. Fresh aromas of green melon are layered with grassy, meadow-like notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eOn the palate, it is clean and lively, with delicate sweetness and juicy acidity in fine balance. A pleasant bitterness emerges toward the finish, adding structure and a more mature character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eServe well chilled to bring out its sharp, refreshing edge. It pairs especially well with dishes such as summer vegetable tempura or grilled vegetables, where the natural sweetness and bitterness of the ingredients can shine.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SAKE Street - Craft SAKE Online Store","offers":[{"title":"720ml","offer_id":48821289189617,"sku":"SA-SHIKISHIMA-NATSU-720","price":64.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/8566\/4497\/files\/shikishima-natumeku-junmai-ginjo-2025by_large_599d90d5-e865-4e6c-99a1-349979f3cf57.webp?v=1789990991"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/8566\/4497\/collections\/ito-brewery-logo.png?v=1790169539","url":"https:\/\/sakestreet.sg\/collections\/ito-brewery-aichi.oembed","provider":"SAKE Street - Craft SAKE Online Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}