Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. will release 273 bottles of “HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.13,” brewed at its HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT microbrewery, at the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum from Saturday, November 8.
It is a rare bottle born from a dream collaboration between sake and wine.
Here are the details.
A Dream Collaboration Between Sake and Wine
HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.13 is the fifth SAKE product in the “other brewed alcoholic beverage” category using ingredients beyond rice.
It uses Cabernet Sauvignon red-wine grapes harvested in Kobe this autumn. The grapes are added to Junmai Daiginjo moromi made by low-temperature fermentation of rice and rice koji, then fermented together and pressed.
About “HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.13”
Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes are generally difficult to obtain. Hakutsuru's connection came from taking over the Kobe Wine business in December 2024, which led to this rare sake × wine creation.
The drink combines sweetness reminiscent of milk-vetch honey, deep acidity and a slight astringency, with elegant Cabernet Sauvignon aromas harmonizing with tropical-fruit-like ginjo fragrance. Its color is a vivid lavender pink.
It promises a fascinating SAKE unlike anything drinkers have encountered before.
Wine fans should take note as well.
Why not check it out?
Reference
Product: HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.13
Volume: 720 ml
Retail price: ¥6,600 including tax
Ingredients: Rice, Japan; rice koji, Japanese rice; grapes
Rice: 100% Hakutsuru Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture
Grapes: Kobe-grown Cabernet Sauvignon
Rice polishing ratio: 50%
Total rice used in brewing: 100 kg
Alcohol: 12%
Category: Other brewed alcoholic beverage
Yeast: Hi-EtCap434
Taste: Milk-vetch-honey-like sweetness
Deep acidity and slight astringency
Aroma: A harmony of elegant Cabernet Sauvignon aroma and tropical-fruit-like ginjo fragrance
Color: Vivid lavender pink extracted from the grapes
Master brewer's comment: We brewed a Junmai Daiginjo base made with Hakutsuru Nishiki polished to 50% together with Cabernet Sauvignon, and I was moved by the unexpectedly elegant result. It achieves an exquisite balance combining the best of wine and sake. I believe the mission of Sake Craft is to create flavors no one has encountered before.
Release date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Limited quantity: 273 bottles
Sales location: Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
4-5-5 Sumiyoshi Minamimachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe; TEL 078-822-8907
Hours: 9:30–16:30, admission until 16:00