Japanese Sake Series: Ono Sake Brewery

Ono brewery installation

Japanese sake brewery Ono Shuzo prides itself on its homegrown ingredients and brewing methods. They strive to create homey, familiar flavours that bring a sense of comfort.

Yufuin is located in the centre of Oita Prefecture. It is one of the best hot spring destinations in Japan, and is surrounded, not only by hot spring sources, but also by beautiful untouched nature. Ono brewery’s hometown also has abundant water resources and is blessed with a wide variety of agricultural products. They are proud of the raw materials that have been nurtured by the rich climate. Therefore, they believe that making delicious food and drinks is the ultimate way to take advantage of the resources available to them. The same applies to the technologies and tools that they have inherited.

The beauty of Yufuin

It is in this spirit that they operate their brewery, founded in 1897. Although they’re only a small family-run countryside brewery, they manufacture a small amount of vacuum-distilled barley shochu, atmospheric-distilled barley shochu, and liqueur, using raw materials from the prefecture to make heartwarming alcohol. They firmly adhere to old manufacturing methods and aim to brew alcohol with a warm, nostalgic taste. 

They make carefully hand-crafted shochu, which can only be prepared  in small quantities. They are proud to produce shochu with complex tastes and fragrances exclusive to Ono Brewery. Their shochu has a strong sweetness comparable to that of Imo-jochu, and its deep richness comes from the barley's delicate and fragrant aroma. Their liqueurs are made with fresh local fruits.

Ono brewery’s products

They work hard to express the taste of their hometown through sake. They hope that their products will make you feel nostalgic and warm, as if you were back in your own hometown.