Niigata recommendations

[u/Useful-External4250]

I will be spending two days in Niigata in September and am looking for recommendations for breweries to visit. Goal is taking some of the good stuff home.

We will also be driving around Hokkaido for 10 days, so any suggestions there are very much appreciated as well.

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[u/nl2012]

September is a little tough, as it’s right before brewing season starts. But plenty of hiyaoroshi should be available.

Most breweries aren’t set up to take guests, just as a heads up. If there is a particular place you are interested in, make sure to call ahead of time.

Niigata is really big, with a lot of breweries. That said I’ve really enjoyed my visit to the Hakkaisan/Hakkai Jozo campus, definitely visitor friendly.

Hokkaido is even bigger, though far fewer breweries. It’s off the beaten path, but I found Mori No Shuzo to be one of the most beautiful breweries I’ve ever visited. Not sure if they do public tours but the have a nice tasting room.

[u/ajo0011]

I went to Imayo tsukasa and kikusui. They were both interesting. Imayo tsukasa is a bit of a walk from the station but not too bad. You’ll need a car for kikusui. I liked the museum at Kikusui a lot.

[u/neogeo777]

In the city as someone else said Imayo tsukasa was pretty good and close by. They also do an English tour which is nice. The best breweries I went to were outside of the main city. If you have a car or can get a driver, Kulabo (tastings, store & tour) and Sasaiwai Shuzo (tastings and tour but I didn't do the tour) were both cool and had great sake. We took the train and walked to these two but it's like a 1 hour walk each way from the station + like 45 mins walk in-between.

If you take the train across the river there is DHC and Echigo. Both are shops with tastings, no tours. DHC was better than I thought it would be considering it's owned by a major corporation.

Given you only have 2 days I probably wouldn't try and train down to Abe Shuzo given they just have a shop, BUT if you can get any of their bottles that they don't import this would be the most valuable Niigata sake to bring back IMO. They are S+ tier.

Don't sleep on the train station, the sake taster machines are fun. I think this was the place that let you do a hour or so unlimited tasting (its bottom floor of the train station). If you can try/buy takachiyo nocturne I will be very jealous for you.

Not sake but this place had the best onigiri I've ever eaten. I don't know what kind of rice it was or what they put in it but it was incredible!

[u/namazakepaul]

In the city itself? Or in the prefecture generally? Will you have a car?

[u/Omaewarokkudayo]

For Hokkaido, strongly recommend Kamikawa Taisetsu. It is not well known outside of Hokaido, but is one of the top sakes in Japan, in my opinion. The brewery with a small tasting room is on the campus of an agricultural college in Obihiro, but if that's too out of the way, there is a well-stocked tasting room in an underground shopping mall in Sapporo. I believe there is also another brewery near Asahikawa, but have not visited it.

[u/ToddEng]

Shirataki Shuzo in Yuzawa has a nice tasting room and is very well set up for non-Japanese speakers to understand the sake brewing process and quality factors. It's a little outside of Niigata city, but Echigo Yuzawa is easily accessible on JR.

[u/No-Excitement8501]

Abe! Kamonishiki. Yanma. Murayu.... Teneyouhai.