The Tale of the Brewery that created the Godzilla Sakes

How the Godzilla Hunt Began

In the heart of Nihonmatsu City, nestled not far from the hometown of Eiji Tsuburaya, the visionary minds at Ninki Shuzo embarked on a quest for perfection. With sake as their canvas and innovation as their guide, they dared to tread where few had ventured before. Since sake is a brew made from micro-organisms such as koji and yeast, they wondered whether it would be possible to utilise Godzilla cells in sake brewing.

Could the legendary Godzilla lend its essence to the sacred brew of sake? They spent days and nights immersed in researching the Godzilla cells, drawing upon their expertise of their brewery which has won high acclaim at numerous sake competitions. Alas, they found the perfect technology by fusing antinuclear energy bacteria and Godzilla cells, forever altering the course of sake-making history. 

Yet, as with all great quests, the path is fraught with peril. They found that the Godzilla's power is too great to be harnessed directly into the brewing process. Rather than incorporating Godzilla cells directly into the brew, they crafted a vessel—a vessel containing the essence of the Godzilla by attaching its cells on to it.

And thus, the Godzilla VS Junmai Daiginjyo Sake was born. Encased within each bottle lies not only the exquisite craftsmanship of Ninki Ichi Brewery but a story—a story of collaboration and creativity, of triumph and tribulation. 

No Godzillas were harmed while making this Sake. 

The Taste of Godzilla VS Junmai Daiginjyo

As the Godzilla cells were rare and hard to procure, only 1000 bottles of Godzilla sake was made. As Ninki Ichi brewery wanted to create a Godzilla themed sake, they attached the cells of Godzilla on the bottle, creating a unique bottle design. Each bottle is distinguished by their own unique set of serial numbers, adding a personal touch to every bottle.

The sake is made using Yamada-Nishiki rice, the king of Sake rice. When chilled and drunk in a wine glass, you can enjoy a fruity aroma of Melon and Peaches, paired with flavours of Strawberries and Steamed Rice.

With great power comes great responsibility. The presence of Godzilla cells poses a significant risk, hence it's crucial to adhere to the following precautions:

• It is very dangerous if the Godzilla cells spread
• Always store in a cool, dark place
• After opening the bottle, put it in the refrigerator and serve it as soon as possible

But how were they able to harvest the Godzilla Cells?

Before the quest for Godzilla cells, Ninki Shuzo had received a request to cooperate with the Giant Unidentified Creature Special Disaster Response Headquarters, led by the Minister of State for Special Missions. This covert project laid the groundwork for what would later become the quest for Godzilla cells. Their task was to develop a weapon inspired by Operation Yashiori in Shin Godzilla, also known as the Yaguchi Plan, aimed at combating the legendary monster.

The word "Yashiori" in Operation Yashiori drew from the myth of "Yashioori no sake", believed to have been made to defeat a powerful eight-forked serpent in ancient Japanese folklore. Translating this myth into a modern strategy, the goal was to craft a sake so irresistible that it would render its drinkers insatiable—a weapon cleverly disguised as indulgence. In other words, this could be considered an operation using Sake created for the purpose of defeating Godzilla.

Amidst the chaos and impending threat of Godzilla's reawakening, the GODZILLA Junmai Daiginjyo Sake was born. Its flavor profile is not too sweet, not too spicy, rich but not heavy. It is well balanced with a complex flavour that is as unique to sake as wine. The sake was brewed in traditional wooden vats and matured in the bottle for a long time to prevent oxidation. 

As Operation Yashiori unfolded, the effects of the sake took hold, causing the Godzilla's internal temperature to spiral out of control. The sake, which acted as a catalyst, disabled his blood cooling system and ultimately freezing him solid. 

How you use this "weapon of mass pleasure" is up to you, but it is strongly encouraged to drink the GODZILLA Junmai Daiginjyo Sake chilled (8°-15°C) in a large wine glass. Otherwise, who knows what might unfold.

More about NINKI INC BREWERY

Founded in 1897, NINKI INC aims to inherit and develop the shochu and sake culture from Tohoku and Fukushima, and strive to establish a rich and unique drinking lifestyle for customers. They strictly believe in developing, manufacturing, and selling safe, high-quality, and original products. NINKI INC uses many interesting methods in sake brewing, so let’s find out more about them. 

NINKI INC only brews Ginjyo Style Sake using a wooden tank known as Kioke Jikomi. These wooden tanks are made from 100-year-old cedar trees in a process refined by Japanese artisans for over 400 years. Because of this specialization, there are now very few people who have mastered the techniques of making these tanks.

So why does NINKI INC still decide to rely solely on wooden tanks? The reason behind this is simple - to express the individuality of popular sake brewing that is not found in metal tanks. Micro-organisms such as yeast and lactic acid soak into the grain of wood, adding a unique complexity and creating a sake that tastes powerful and strong. These traditional methods add to the immense depth and complexity to the sake, something that cannot be achieved using modern techniques. When you consider sake brewing a cultural art, it makes no sense to modernize the tools.

NINKI INC also takes a unique approach to their sake storage method. When stored in a storage tank, oxidation progresses rapidly as storage tanks cannot completely separate liquor and air. Overtime, the stored sake will deteriorate and affect the taste of the sake. In order to prevent this, NINKI INC completely disregards storage tanks and only stores their sake in bottles. This method suppresses oxidation since there is only a small amount of air in the bottle, maintaining the quality and lifespan of the sake. Since the sake is kept airtight in bottles, it has no contact with oxygen, and so decanting after bottling allows the sake to mix extensively with air all at once. This helps to bring out the sake's natural smooth sweetness.

NINKI INC hopes to continue to focus on new products that fit our modern life, such as sparkling sake and sake that we drink in wine glasses. They want to expand the sake industry and strive to push sake as a liquor that is distributed and drunk all over the world, just like popular wine and beer.