There’s no surer sign that summer is underway than the ubiquity of rosé wine in every glass and on store shelves. As rosé wine became the unofficially-official drink of summer, sake producers in Japan noticed an opportunity to tap into the zeitgeist. In the last few years, innovative iterations of blush-colored sake have made their way Stateside. The first rosé sakes employed stereotypically feminine marketing, emphasizing their low alcohol content, and fizzy, somewhat sweet nature through playful packaging. But with advancements in production, and as rosé crossed all demographics, today, “rosé sake is being taken a lot more seriously.
For Niichiro Marumoto, president of Marumoto Shuzo, infusing botanicals into the moromi (rice mash) was the perfect solution for Hana Hou Hou Shu, a Charmat-method sparkling rosé sake. “After evaluating the aroma and flavor profiles, we found that using rosehip and hibiscus offered a superior result compared to red yeast or red rice, and thus chose to adopt this approach,” says Marumoto of the Prosecco-like sparkler. “Rosehip, rich in lycopene, is known for its beautifying effects on the skin, while the vividly colored hibiscus contains abundant vitamin C and citric acid, which are highly effective in reducing fatigue. This led to the creation of Hana Hou Hou Shu.”
Excerpt Taken From: Food & Wine
Author: Shana Clarke
