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Zairai Forest
Zairai Forest

Zairai Forest

Flowers notes with umami flavor
€49,00
€98,00/l
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
​Zairai Forest is a unique sake crafted by haccoba, established in February 2021 in Odaka, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. This sake is part of "Zairai" series, which explores traditional Japanese brewing methods by incorporating indigenous ingredients. ​In the fall of 2024, the haccoba team collaborated with the Japan Kusaki Laboratory and ventured into the forests of Furudono Town in Fukushima Prefecture. There, they harvested native materials such as the branches and leaves of the Japanese nutmeg tree (Kaya), branches of the spicebush (Aburachan), mugwort flowers (Yomogi), and cedar cones (Sugi bokkuri). These ingredients were fermented alongside rice to create Zairai Forest. The fermentation process yields a gentle aroma reminiscent of white peaches, accompanied by a refreshing sensation and a lingering astringent finish. The brewery utilized the rice variety "Kame no O", organically cultivated by Tsuchiya Farm, polished minimally to 92%, allowing the full umami flavor to be experienced, resulting in a taste that deeply resonates with the body. ​This native sake invites consumers to reflect on the rich forests and rice fields of Fukushima while savoring its profound flavors.

Storage temperature: 5° - 8°C

Drinking temperature: 6° - 13° C

Prefecture: Fukushima

Type: Craft

Rice variety: Local rice, local rice koji, Kaya, Abrachan, wood flower, cedar bokkuri

Alcohol content: 13%

Polishing ratio: 92%

Pairs well with

About Haccoba

haccoba is a contemporary sake brewery established in February 2021 in the Odaka district of Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The brewery operates from a renovated traditional house, symbolizing a fusion of modern innovation with traditional aesthetics. The founder, Taisuke Sato, relocated from Tokyo to Fukushima in 2020 with a vision to revolutionize sake brewing. Drawing from traditional Japanese sake-making techniques, haccoba introduces unique ingredients such as beer hops, transcending conventional boundaries between different alcoholic beverages. This approach embodies a free and uninhibited brewing philosophy, aiming to create sake that resonates with a diverse audience.

Curation and Import

Several times a year, we travel through Japan — dining, tasting, and seeking out bottles that stand out again and again. When they do, we visit the brewery and begin the slow process of building trusting relationships. Many of these brewers don’t export at all, so it can take years before we’re able to bring their sake to Berlin. Unlike traditional import models with many intermediaries, we keep a direct pipeline and a strict cold chain in 5° C — from the brewery to our cooling cellar in Kreuzberg — ensuring every bottle here tastes exactly as it does in Japan. Our Sake Club plays the role of custodian for each brewery, ensuring their unique taste, history, and spirit travel from Japan to our community with care and respect.

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FAQ

It depends on the sake variety. Most sake is best consumed within one to two weeks if kept in the fridge. After that, delicate varieties such as junmai ginjō and junmai daiginjō quickly lose their fruity, floral aromas. Sparkling sake is best enjoyed within one to three days after opening, as it loses carbonation quickly.

Yes. Sake should always be stored in the fridge at a temperature below 8°C. Refrigeration is especially important for nama-zake and to preserve the delicate freshness of ginjō sake. Warm temperatures accelerate oxidation and spoilage.

Enjoy it while it’s fresh! Most sake is best consumed within about a year of leaving the brewery. Nama-zake, in particular, tends to lose its vibrant character after just a few months. Ginjō styles generally have a shorter shelf life than honjōzō and junmai varieties, and are best enjoyed within around ten months.

Sake generally has a higher alcohol content than beer or wine, ranging from 12% up to 18% ABV. The average is around 14.5%.

Yes. Our strict cold-chain import process is essential. All sake is shipped directly from breweries in Japan under strict quality control. It travels in refrigerated containers from Yokohama to Hamburg and is carefully handled until it reaches Berlin, where it is stored in our temperature-controlled cellar.

Yes. At Our Sake Club, we offer guided sake tastings to explore the wide variety of aromas, flavors, and styles. During opening hours, you can enjoy our classic sake flight — a tasting of three different sakes. We also offer seasonal and mainstay selections by the glass. If you fall in love with a particular sake (as often happens!), you can open a bottle to enjoy on-site or take it home.

Yes. We collaborate with local Kreuzberg restaurants Zum Heiligen Teufel and Merold to offer a curated selection of small bites designed to pair with our sake and showcase its versatility.

Yes. For private event inquiries, please contact us at info@oursake.club .

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About OUR SAKE CLUB

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Our mission is to make sake accessible even to those outside Berlin. We ship across Germany and throughout the European Union with DHL, with the dispatch of the order usually happening within two business days. If you live in Berlin, you can pick up your bottle during our opening hours. Once your order is shipped, you will instantly receive a tracking number, and in the rare case of loss or damage, we will issue a full refund.

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