Chiyonokame Brewery stands on the bank of the Oda River that flows through the town of Uchiko. The brewery once occupied an Edo period building nearby, but when dust started falling from the roof, it was time to build new facilities. Nevertheless, much of the equipment from earlier centuries was moved into the new stainless-steel premises, creating an interesting hybrid of new and traditional.

The brewery’s products also reflect a hybrid mentality. Although Chiyonokame is known for its high quality junmai, it was creating new products such as frozen sake and sparkling sake when these things were still avant-garde. Recently, the brewery has experimented with yeasts derived from bees to make a new variety of sake.