82. Mineta 100ml (Expiration date: October 2025)

Hon-mirin, a brewer's alcohol-based sake

All customers who sampled it in store were surprised by its rich sweetness. Made with 100% domestically grown rice, the mash is made from domestically grown non-glutinous rice, which becomes the koji, and steamed domestically grown glutinous rice, along with brewer's alcohol. After 60-70 days, the mash is pressed and then aged for three years. This mirin is unpasteurized and bottled.

Because it is based on brewer's alcohol (tasteless and odorless alcohol), it has a strong sweetness even when drunk as is, without the distinctive shochu aroma.It has a very strong umami flavor, so you can use it in smaller amounts than regular mirin.

A small mirin brewery in Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture

Among all the craftsmen I have met so far, the president, Mr. Ogasawara, is a straightforward man, with a clear expression and words, saying, "I like what I like! I dislike what I dislike!" When I told him that the workplace was clean, he replied, without changing his expression, "Of course." He said, "We are making things that go into people's mouths, after all," and that the first thing he teaches new staff is how to wash their hands.

It's easy to imagine that a fair amount of rice falls onto the floor during brewing, but it was clear that they are so meticulous about cleaning that you can't find a trace of it. All the tools and equipment are sparkling clean, and even the metal parts and rubber parts like hoses have been disassembled and polished to the finest detail. But for Ogasawara, it's not like he's trying too hard, it's something that he just takes for granted.

He also says that people around him have started describing his work as "particular" or "ultimate" in order to satisfy his desire for high-quality ingredients and manufacturing methods, but he doesn't like those expressions. I feel that these unpretentious words also overlap with the appeal of mirin.

Mild fragrance and easy to use in cooking

Mineta kara is made with brewer's alcohol, so you won't notice the smell or taste of alcohol, making it easy to use in cooking. It's especially recommended for simmered vegetables and other dishes that require a short cooking time. It has a rich sweetness and flavor without the need for sugar. One bottle of mirin can fulfill a variety of roles, including preventing food from falling apart, adding shine and helping the flavor penetrate ingredients more easily, and deodorizing.

mirin syrup

I'm often asked, "Can Hon Mirin be used for anything other than cooking?" However, by boiling it down, the sweetness increases even more, so it's also recommended for making syrups. Mineta-kara is made with brewer's alcohol, so it's very sweet even as is, but when boiled down to about half its original volume, it becomes a thick, richly sweet syrup.

Use it as a syrup for breakfast or dessert, drizzling it on bread or yogurt, or adding it to tea. It has a rich, caramel-like sweetness. It's especially recommended with vanilla ice cream; pouring Minetakara syrup over it gives it a mellow, custard-pudding-like flavor, creating a luxurious dessert that combines the flavors of both ice cream and pudding.