September brings the first cool mornings and evenings — and for sake lovers, the season when "hiyaoroshi" begins to appear.
At Ou Banquet, we sometimes bring in hiyaoroshi from Tohoku breweries at this time of year.

What is hiyaoroshi?

Sake pressed in winter or spring is pasteurized once and rested in the brewery over summer, then shipped in autumn without a second pasteurization. The name comes from "hiya" (unheated) and "orosu" (to ship).
A summer of aging smooths its edges, so it tastes rounder and fuller than when freshly pressed — a change sake lovers call "aki-agari", improving in autumn.

In season roughly September to November

Hiyaoroshi appears from about September through November. Early in autumn it is still crisp with a hint of summer; as autumn deepens it matures and grows rounder.
The same label shows a different face as the weeks pass — part of the fun of seasonal sake.

Pairing with autumn dishes

Its rounded umami goes well with autumn fish as they grow richer.
Try it with our fragrant house-made seared cured mackerel, the grilled fish of the day (it changes with what comes in), or kaiyaki miso with its savory depth — dishes with a bit of body.

Arrivals vary

Hiyaoroshi is a limited seasonal sake, so arrivals are irregular. When we have it, our staff will let you know — feel free to ask, "Any hiyaoroshi today?"
On other days, we have Tohoku sake such as Houhai and Denshu from Aomori and Urakasumi and Ichinokura from Miyagi.