Niizawa Jozoten 新澤醸造店

Kura History
Founded in 1873.

“Atago no Matsu”, a brand that has been around since its founding, has been popular in the local area, and the poet Bansui Doi of “Arajo no Tsuki” wrote that “the sake that opens at the top of Tateyama is rather the scent of Atago pine.” after he drank it.

In 2000, Iwao Niizawa (5th generation), who is currently the representative director, became the youngest Toji in Miyagi prefecture. The following year, a new brand “Hakurakusei” was announced to limited distributors. “Hakurakusei” was created with the aim of complementing any dish in an era when there were only the words “aperitif” and “digestif”. Currently, with the concept of “ultimate in-meal liquor”, it is often used in famous restaurants both in Japan and abroad.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the Kura decided to move the manufacturing warehouse from Sanbongi, Osaki City to Kawasaki Town, Shibata District. Production resumed in November of the same year, and the completely destroyed head office was rebuilt in August 2013.
In 2018, Nanami Watanabe (22 years old at that time) took over Toji and became the youngest female Toji in Japan. Even after leaving the role of Toji, Niizawa continues to teach sake brewing with an awareness of the cup of sake that customers can drink.

The products are mainly sake brands as “Hakurakusei” and “Atago no Matsu”, and liqueurs such as plum wine, yuzu sake, black tea sake, and yogurt sake are also brewed. At the brewery, they work on thorough refrigeration management, and all bottled liquor, from cup liquor to high-class liquor, is stored in a refrigerator at minus 5 degrees Celsius. They ship from the brewery in a young and fresh state, and adjust to the best condition when it arrives at the customer’s hand. While paying attention to the quality of sake shipped domestically, it also exports to 17 countries.

蔵の歴史
明治6年（1873）創業。
創業当時から続く銘柄であり、地元でも親しまれてきた「愛宕の松」は、『荒城の月』の詩人・土井晩翠氏が「館山の頂開く酒むしろ愛宕の松の薫いみじく」と詠むほど愛飲したという。
平成12年（2000）に現在代表取締役を務める新澤巖夫（5代目）が宮城県最年少の杜氏に就任。翌年には特約店限定で新銘柄「伯楽星」を発表。食前酒・食後酒という単語しかなかった時代に、どんな料理も引き立てるお酒を目指し生み出された「伯楽星」は“食中酒”のパイオニアであった。現在は“究極の食中酒”をコンセプトにし、国内国外問わず星付きのレストランでも多く使用されている。
平成23年（2011）東日本大震災後は製造蔵を大崎市三本木から柴田郡川崎町への移転を決意。同年11月には製造を再開し、全壊した本社も平成25年8月に再建を果たした。
平成30年（2018）には渡部七海（当時22歳）に杜氏を引き継ぎ、全国最年少女性杜氏が誕生した。新澤は、杜氏の役目から離れてからもなお、お客様が飲まれる一杯の酒を意識して酒造りの指導を行っている。
商品は「伯楽星」「あたごのまつ」といった清酒を中心に梅酒、柚子酒、紅茶酒、ヨーグルト酒といったリキュールも醸造。蔵では徹底した冷蔵管理に取り組み、瓶詰されたお酒はカップ酒から高級酒まで、全てマイナス5度の冷蔵庫で保管される。蔵からは若くフレッシュな状態で出荷し、お客様の手元に届くタイミングで最高のコンディションになるよう調整している。国内へ出荷される酒の品質に気を配りつつ、17か国への輸出も行っている。