Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Sales of "Sake Brewery Yogurt JOGURT" Series at Brewery Shop
Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma District, Niigata Prefecture; President: Kengo Suzuki; hereinafter “Tsunan Sake Brewery”) is pleased to announce the start of sales for the “JOGURT” series, a plant-based fermented food made from lactic acid-fermented sake lees, at its brewery shop in Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture.
During the “Winter Brewery Christmas Fair 2025” held in December 2025, we offered JOGURT tastings and sold JOGURT concentrate and “Yasashii Amazake” (Gentle Sweet Sake), receiving high praise from visitors. In response to this positive feedback, we have decided to continue carrying these products at the brewery shop even after the fair, establishing them as a permanent part of the Tsunan Sake Brewery experience.
What is JOGURT?
JOGURT is a plant-based yogurt made from lactic acid-fermented sake lees, developed by FARM8 Co., Ltd. (Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture). Tsunan Sake Brewery supplies the sake lees used as the raw material for JOGURT. (Press release regarding the collaboration between FARM8 and Tsunan Sake Brewery:
JOGURT has three main characteristics:
– Dairy-free and Sugar-free
– Uses sake lees from Japanese sake
– Re-fermented using the “Uonuma strain” of lactic acid bacteria discovered in snow country
The natural umami of sake lees combines with the gentle acidity of lactic acid fermentation to create a texture and flavor similar to unsweetened yogurt. It is a fermented food that is easy to incorporate into daily meals¡ªenjoy it plain, or with granola, fruit, or smoothies.
“Another Form of Fermentation” to Taste and Take Home
While centering on sake brewing, Tsunan Sake Brewery is working to expand the possibilities of fermentation from simply “drinking” sake to an experience of “eating and drinking” in daily life. The sale of JOGURT at the brewery shop aims to convey these possibilities to visitors by offering fermented foods born from the same ingredients (rice, water, and microorganisms) in the same space where sake is brewed.
Visitors can travel to the brewery in snowy Tsunan, touch upon the background and stories of fermentation, taste it on the spot, and take it back to their daily lives. JOGURT serves to connect visitors with this unique value that only a brewery visit can provide.
President’s Comment: Transforming Sake Lees from “Byproduct” to “Daily Food”
Kengo Suzuki, Ph.D. (Medicine & Agriculture) President & CEO, Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
“JOGURT is a fermented food that lies on the extension of sake brewing. We take sake lees born inside the brewery, ferment them again, and return them to daily life. We want to carefully convey this circulation directly from the brewery. Tsunan Sake Brewery’s sake lees are particularly reputed for their delicious taste. I have long wanted to maximize that potential and have engaged in trial and error to deliver it to everyone in the highest value form possible.
The JOGURT initiative is positioned as part of the ‘Sake Upcycling Project’ promoted by Tsunan Sake Brewery. This project is a major challenge to evolve sake lees and byproducts generated during the sake brewing process¡ªnot treating them merely as residue, but developing them into new value through fermentation, preservation, and redesign technologies.
JOGURT, which improves flavor and shelf life by re-fermenting sake lees with lactic acid, is an example of realizing upcycling in the food sector by utilizing the knowledge of microbial control and quality management cultivated in sake brewing. I believe we can return the brewery’s original philosophy of ‘make, preserve, and circulate’ to food and lifestyles that realize modern well-being and longevity (extending healthy life expectancy).”
Future Outlook
Tsunan Sake Brewery aims to deliver the value of fermentation born from the site of sake brewing more widely and familiarly, focusing on the following:
– Continued sales at the brewery shop and enhancement of fermentation experiences for visitors.
– Expansion of the lineup, including JOGURT concentrate and Amazake.
– Proposing “Lifestyles with Fermentation from the Brewery” that crosses the boundaries between sake and fermented foods.
About Tsunan Sake Brewery
The Brewery in the Deep Snow Tsunan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. is located in the heavy snowfall area of Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma District, Niigata Prefecture, and uses natural water springing from 2,000-meter class mountains as brewing water. Its sake brewing, using local sake rice “Gohyakumangoku” and “Uonuma Koshihikari,” is based on the brand concept “Brew for Future.” In 2025, the brewery was awarded the Niigata Governor’s Prize (1st Place) at the “Echigo-Ryu Sake Brewing Technology Championships,” a competition of brewing skills.
Tsunan Sake Brewery Website:
