NARAI (奈良県)
杉之森酒造
About Suginomori Brewery
suginomori brewery is the highest sake brewery in Japan, standing at an altitude of 940m. As our name suginomori – or “cedar forest” – indicates, we brew our sake in a town called Narai-juku surrounded by a mountainous forest of Japanese cedar trees.
Established in 1793, Suginomori Shuzo was somewhat of a symbol of Narai-juku. Once regarded as one of the “Five Great Sakes of Kiso,” the family-run brewery produced Japanese sake that was loved by many – until it closed its doors in 2012, all but ending over 200 years of brewing history. In 2021, this historic brewery was restored and rebranded as suginomori brewery.
At suginomori brewery, now restored as a microbrewery, each step of the brewing process is meticulously done by hand.
In Narai-juku, we are blessed with fresh mountain water from Kiso Valley and rice cultivated in the high altitudes of nearby Azumino – the finest quality ingredients to brew narai.