SOTO Sake Announces Limited-Edition Collaboration Series with Japan's Most Iconic Breweries

In collaboration with a new generation of sake brewers, SOTO introduces SOTO X YAMAGATA MASAMUNE Omachi Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo

NEW YORK, April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SOTO premium sake is pleased to announce the first release as part of a new, limited-edition series, SOTO X YAMAGATA MASAMUNE Omachi Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo. The collaboration between SOTO and Japan's finest producers celebrates the most sought-after "Grand Cru" breweries in Japan and around the world.

Bottled from a single tank, the first in the illustrious series is an exclusive sake available in limited quantities in partnership with fifth generation Tomonobu Mitobe of Yamagata's highly respected Mitobe Sake Brewery (est. 1898), maker of the venerable Yamagata Masamune sake. As a leading avant-garde producer, Mitobe's Yamagata Masamune has become one of Japan's most in-demand brands, only sold in the country's pre-eminent sake shops. Embodying an ethos of exquisite quality over quantity, Mitobe's exceptional sake is sought after for its elegance and depth of flavor, created by a marriage of traditional and modern techniques, shrouded deep in the mountains of Japan. The immaculate water used by Mitobe Sake imparts the sake with a crisp, sharp finish – a "cut" quality referencing the name 'Masamune' after a 14th century swordsmith, known to craft the most perfect samurai swords ever made.

The collaboration between SOTO and Mitobe Sake has culminated in a Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo sake made with the ancient Omachi rice - Japan's oldest sake heirloom strain. Mitobe's mastery is evident in his use of the ancient Kimoto method to commence the brewing process, a notoriously difficult endeavor when making Daiginjo. This style adds complexity and polished depth to elegance typical of sake's finest grade - Junmai Daiginjo. Omachi rice, polished to 50% of its original size, complements Mitobe Sake's pristine, mineral-rich mountain water. "Omachi was the sake rice with which I first fell in love with. Rare for sake rice, Omachi has distinguished characteristics that I feel  create a distinct and special chemistry with Mitobe Sake Brewery," Mitobe himself shares. Sourced from the Akaiwa region, renowned to produce Okayama's top Omachi, this storied rice has a reputation of being challenging to cultivate and brew with. When used in the hands of a master brewer like Tomonobu Mitobe, the results are sublime, imparting an earthy, spicy undertone to the unique flavor profile of the extraordinarily smooth and fresh SOTO x Yamagata Masamune.

To spearhead this exciting venture, SOTO aligned with Michael Tremblay, a world-renowned Sake Samurai,  expert, and educator to explore the esoteric and progressive sake breweries pushing the boundaries of traditional beverages. In concert with SOTO's efforts to recruit new consumers to the category, the collaboration ushers in modern, creative sake options for restaurants, sommeliers, experts, and consumers.

"I've always appreciated SOTO's approach to Japanese Sake," notes Tremblay. "I have seen firsthand how their modern-packaging-meets-high-caliber sake formula excites and engages customers. When they approached me for this partnership, I absolutely jumped at the opportunity. The collaboration with Master Brewer Mitobe is the chance of a lifetime, working with a brewer at the top of his game.  Sake lovers will adore this first release in partnership with my friends at the Mitobe Sake Brewery, whose sake I have admired for many years for its intensity of flavor and food-friendly profile."

SOTO co-founder Dan Rubinoff adds, "SOTO continues to introduce the experience of drinking sake to more people and contributes to the category's increasing popularity. This limited editions series is a true labor of love, and not only expands SOTO's offering but allows us the opportunity to align with some hot brewers, while working alongside a sake educator and advocate like Michael."

Mitobe's versatility and talent, in parallel with the storied and ancient Omachi rice mastery is just one attribute of the super fine sakes he crafts. "By using the Kimoto method, which originated in the early 17^th century, time-honored techniques are employed, dating back to the very origins of the craft," remarks Tremblay. "Very few breweries still make this kind of sake, but the exquisite and distinctive flavor is unparalleled. We're proud to present something so refined and elegant, rarely experienced outside of Japan to a new generation of sake drinkers."

Designed exclusively for SOTO by award-winning designer Joe Doucet, the bottle itself is a work of art.  Once bottled, the sake is meticulously cared for, from temperature-controlled shipping containers to the ultraviolet protection on the bottles. "We had every confidence that Mitobe-San could craft something not only unique, but also, breathtaking," notes Tremblay. "Our intention is to bring this superb sake to consumers as if they were enjoying it at the brewery - a passport to authentic Japanese elegance."

Available in extremely limited quantities, a collector's edition will also be available in a numbered, commemorative Japanese wooden box exclusively on the SOTO Sake website early this summer. The first in a magnificent series, exciting new collaborations with distinguished sake houses across Japan will be announced in the future.

Best enjoyed chilled, the first sake in the Limited-Edition series, SOTO X YAMAGATA MASAMUNE Omachi Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo is available  at select restaurants and premium retailers in New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, including Rule of Thirds, Sushi Nakazawa, CATCH, Sake No Hana, KYU, The Lobster Club, Sushi By Scratch, TAISHO, Ozumo, KOMODO, KATSUYA, GEKKO, Wally's, True Sake, Maison Mura, and 305 Wines.

Hi-Res Assets, additional technical information and more can be found HERE

For all media / press inquiries, please contact:
Erin Smolinski, SOTO Sake PR Consultant
[email protected]

About SOTO Sake^®
SOTO is a premium sake brand crafted in Japan, run by two North American entrepreneurs, and headquartered in Miami, Florida. Award-winning SOTO emphasizes the taste, experience, heritage, and craftsmanship of the finest Japanese sake. SOTO Junmai Daiginjo (15.5% alcohol-by-volume) is available in 720ml and 300ml bottles. SOTO Junmai (14% alcohol-by-volume) is available in 720ml bottles and 180ml single-serve cans. SOTO sakes have been awarded the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, a Gold Medal from the Monde Selection Global Quality Institute, and the Double Gold medal at the China Wine & Spirits Awards. SOTO also received accolades from the Sommelier Challenge competition awarded with the Gold medal and Best Sake, with a rating of 94. SOTO's Junmai Daiginjo and Junmai sakes are all natural, gluten free, vegan, and do not contain sulfites, preservatives, nor added sugar. SOTO Sake always emphasizes responsible drinking and is sold at fine wine and liquor retailers, premium grocery and liquor chains including FOXTROT, Whole Foods Market, BevMo, Total Wine & More, and leading hotels, restaurants, and bars including KOMODO in Miami, KUMI in New York and Las Vegas, MR. CHOW in Los Angeles, Sushi Nakazawa in New York, MAKOTO in Miami, 1 Hotel in Toronto, and Uchiko in Houston. 
Visit SOTOSAKE.COM or follow @SOTOSAKE.
Contact: [email protected]

About Mitobe Sake Brewery
Mitobe Sake Brewery is considered one of Japan's preeminent sake breweries and one of its leading forward-thinking producers in recent times. This small craft brewery, established in 1898, is in Japan's northwest prefecture of Yamagata. The region is home to a cold climate with heavy snow suitable for high caliber sake brewing. The brewery produces the Yamagata Masamune brand, sold in Japan's most influential sake shops and available in very small allocation around the planet due to the small volume of hand-crafted sakes produced annually. Part of the magic at the Mitobe Sake Brewery is their water source, which originates from the Ou Mountains that form the spine of Japan's northern Tohoku region. Their water flows over seams of limestone where it is infused with minerals. This pristine, medium hard water helps define the brewery's signature sharpness found on the finish. While available internationally, the brewery's very small production means that their sakes are a rarity, making them worthy of seeking out. For all other products by Mitobe Sake / Yamagata Masamune one can visit SIPTGLOBAL.COM.

About Michael Tremblay
Michael is the co-author of Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake: Rice, Water, Earth. He is a certified WSET sake and wine instructor, a Senior Sake Judge for the International Wine Challenge and the U.S. National Sake Appraisal in Hawaii. In October 2018 Michael was inducted as a Sake Samurai at the Matsuo Taisha Shrine in Kyoto, a 1,300-year-old shrine to sake. This is a distinction held by approximately only 96 people world-wide. He is the founder of the Sake Scholar Course, an advanced certification that explores all 47 of Japan's prefectures through the lens of sake and honkaku shochu. He enjoys traveling to Japan whenever he can and has worked in renowned sake breweries in Niigata, Shizuoka, Shimane, and Gifu prefectures, practicing his 'work-in-progress' Japanese and learning from the Toji (brew master). Michael is currently the Beverage Director at Toronto's ki modern Japanese + bar, where he manages an award-winning wine and sake list. Follow @mtrsake 

SOURCE SOTO Sake