ZENKURO SAKE

Okay, first thing’s first; sake is not actually a spirit. Neither is it a beer, wine, nor liqueur. Japan’s national drink is in a class all of its own. But while it technically doesn’t fit into the spirit category (being fermented rather than distilled) Zenkuro Sake certainly fits the homegrown artisan profile. Initially, the key players of Zenkuro – husband-and-wife team Dave and Yasuko Joll, Richard Ryall, Craig Mclachlan and Yoshihiro Kawamura – had planned to bring a sake brewing team to Queenstown from Japan. It didn’t end up being necessary as Dave completed sake brewery internships in Canada and Japan, and studied to become a Certified Advanced Sake Professional. In just three years, they’ve progressed from “being a group of Japanophile, sake-loving friends, to being New Zealand’s first-ever sake brewing company, with international awards under our belt,” Dave says. Made with the pristine, soft mountain water from the Southern Alps, he says the air in Queenstown too, being dry, cool and clean, is an ideal sake brewing environment. For those uninitiated into the wonderment that is sake, to cut a complicated story short, the basic ingredients are rice, water, purpose-produced sake yeast and a sugar content made from a naturally occurring mould. Hand-made in small batches, Zenkuro uses traditional Japanese techniques, which means no preservatives or additives. “The first time the entire team unanimously nodded in approval and smiled at each other as we tasted a new batch was a moment we will never forget,” says Dave. zenkuro.co.nz