Kikusui- Funaguchi Sinshu (Green)

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Kikusui – Defeating the Stigma of the Can

What do you think of when you hear “sake in a can?” To be frank, it’s probably not the most positive image. Canned products have faced an undeserving stigma for being low grade or having inferior quality. That is simply not the case, and Kikusui wants to let the world know.

Kikusui Brewery in the Winter

We met with Richard Priest of Kikusui and had the privilege of sampling a few products, including the aforementioned canned sake. But first, why are some of Kikusui’s sakes canned? The main goal is product preservation. With a bottle, the seal will never be completely airtight around the opening. In comparison, Kikusui’s can is specially lined on the inside and completely sealed so nothing can enter or leave. Furthermore unlike a bottle, light cannot enter a can and spoil the sake. An unpasteurized sake such as the Funaguchi is susceptible to various environmental hazards such as light and air, but a completely sealed vessel will prevent the elements from negatively affecting the contents. Kikusui’s Funaguchi sake in its characteristic yellow can was the first of its kind when it was introduced over forty years ago as a NAMA (fresh) sake. To date, it is Kikusui’s most popular product, accounting for a third of their overall sales.