HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.19 Cocoa: A Dessert-Inspired SAKE with Chocolate Flavor, Limited to 260 Bottles, Launches June 20 at Hakutsuru Sake Museum

Hakutsuru Shuzo Co., Ltd. will launch 'HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.19 Cocoa,' brewed at its microbrewery 'HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT,' in a limited quantity of 260 bottles starting Saturday, June 20, at the Hakutsuru Sake Museum. No.19 is the third release in a series of dessert-inspired SAKE (※), classified as 'Other Fermented Liquor'—a category allowing ingredients beyond rice. It is made by fermenting the mash of a sweet junmai daiginjo, crafted from rice and rice koji through low-temperature fermentation, with the addition of cocoa mass.

Using cocoa mass at 'HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT' is a first, requiring extensive trials with cocoa mass sourced from multiple countries. Ultimately, cocoa from the Dominican Republic was selected, resulting in a SAKE that captures the rich, sweet aroma of cocoa while preserving the essence of sake—achieving the ideal flavor profile. Even those unfamiliar with sake are encouraged to enjoy it.

Image: Adding crushed cocoa mass into the fermentation tank

※ SAKE: Used here to refer to sake and other fermented liquors primarily made from rice, based on sake brewing methods.

Product Information

Product Name: HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.19 Cocoa

Volume: 720ml

Category: Other Fermented Liquor

Retail Price: ¥7,700 (tax included)

Ingredients: Rice (domestic), Rice Koji (domestic rice), Cocoa Mass

Rice Used: 100% Hakutsuru Nishiki

Rice Polishing Ratio: 50%

Total Brewing Rice: 100kg

Alcohol Content: 11%

Yeast Used: Hi-EtCap396

Taste Profile: Elegant ginjo aroma with sweet cocoa fragrance

Refreshing chocolate flavor with a crisp bitterness,

and a rich, umami-filled aftertaste from rice

Color: Pink Gold

HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT No.19 Cocoa

Toji's Comment: 'Creating a dessert-like sake that appeals to young people, especially women'—this is one of Sake Craft's goals. While nearly impossible within traditional sake brewing, stepping beyond into the broader world of SAKE—including 'Other Fermented Liquor'—allows us to create dessert-style beverages rooted in sake-making. We previously succeeded with strawberry (No.6) and vanilla (No.17) SAKE. For No.19, we challenged ourselves with a refreshing chocolate-flavored SAKE using cocoa mass. After testing cocoa mass from various origins—including Ghana and Venezuela—we selected Dominican Republic cocoa, which best matched our desired quality. We aim to create a SAKE that makes people feel a new world of alcohol, just beyond traditional sake, is unfolding.

Release Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026

Quantity: 260 bottles

Sales Location: Hakutsuru Sake Museum (4-5-5 Shukujin Minamimachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City, TEL: 078-822-8907)

Opening Hours: 9:30–16:30 (Last entry at 16:00)

Inside HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT

① Exterior ② Interior ③ Koji Room

④ Fermentation Tanks ⑤ Brewing ⑥ Pressing

About 'HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT'

Opened in September 2024 inside the Hakutsuru Sake Museum, this microbrewery operates in just 37㎡. Equipped to produce premium daiginjo, it handles every step of sake production—from rice washing, soaking, steaming, koji-making, fermentation, pressing, filtering, to bottling. Visitors can observe the brewing equipment and fermenting moromi through glass, and may even witness brewing operations if their visit aligns with the schedule.

Logo: HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT

Here, a toji (master brewer) and one kura-to (brewery worker) explore new possibilities of SAKE made from rice, unbound by traditional categories. Each SAKE is sold exclusively at the museum, and no batch is ever repeated—making each encounter a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Through 'HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT,' we aim to make sake brewing more accessible. By showcasing the infinite possibilities of SAKE made from rice, we hope to deepen public interest in sake and contribute to its growing popularity.

Toji (Ban Mitsuhiro) and Kura-to (Nouchi Ryosuke)

We produce original sake using premium ingredients, unconventional brewing methods, and previously unused strains from our proprietary yeast library of over 480 types. We also create other fermented liquors using hops and ginger. In the future, we plan to offer custom SAKE orders and cross-industry collaborations—initiatives only possible through 'HAKUTSURU SAKE CRAFT.'

Location: 1st Floor, Hakutsuru Sake Museum

Floor Area: 37㎡

Brewing Equipment: Rice washer, steamer, cooling machine, two 100kg fermentation tanks, press, koji room, bottling machine

Features:

- All-in-one design covering every step from washing to pasteurization

- Transparent viewing allows observation of equipment and fermenting moromi; brewing work can be viewed through windows

Batch Size: 200–300 bottles of 720ml

Licenses: Sake Manufacturing License, Other Fermented Liquor Manufacturing License

First Brew: Main Production, Reserved on August 30, 2024

Opening Date: September 5, 2024

Staff: 1 Toji, 1 Full-time Kura-to, several part-time Kura-to

Toji: Mitsuhiro Ban (Executive Officer, Chief Technician, in charge of SAKE CRAFT)

Full-time Kura-to: Ryosuke Nouchi (Deputy Section Chief, Brewing Division)

【Customer Inquiries】

Hakutsuru Shuzo Co., Ltd. Customer Service Center

TEL: 078-856-7190 (Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:00, excluding holidays and weekends)

Hakutsuru Website: https://www.hakutsuru.co.jp/customer/

▼ Press Release (PDF)

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