Kobe Sparkling Umeshu (200 ml)

Founded in 1751 and operated by the Yasufuku family across 13 generations, Kobe Shushinkan brews at Mikage-go in Higashinada Ward — one of the five sub-districts of Nada-Gogo — where Miyamizu, a mineral-rich spring water filtered through Rokko Mountain granite, has defined the region's sake character for centuries. Low in iron and high in phosphorus and potassium, Miyamizu drives vigorous fermentation and a clean, mineral-edged backbone that carries directly into this umeshu's sake base.

The sparkling umeshu is built on that nihonshu (sake) base rather than the shochu or neutral spirit used by most commercial umeshu producers — a deliberate choice that keeps the grain character present beneath the natural ume plum juice. Bottled at 5% ABV in a 200 ml format, it sits far lighter than the category norm, making the carbonation the structural element rather than residual sugar or alcohol weight.

What separates this expression categorically: using a sake base in a sparkling format is genuinely rare — most sparkling umeshu rely on neutral spirit, which erases origin. Here, the Miyamizu mineral signature and the brewery's hand-cultivated koji tradition remain traceable in the finished liquid. The brewery also holds Organic JAS certification and launched the world's first carbon-zero sake in 2022, context that frames this small-format as part of a broader production philosophy rather than a novelty SKU.