How Azuma sake is made, the largest producer of the drink in the country

The main Brazilian producer of sake – also called sake in Brazil – turns 90 in 2024. Founded in the city of Campinas (SP), Azuma was born with the aim of bringing a little bit of Japan to the Japanese colony in Brazil.

In an interview for the website This Is Moneythe company’s director, Japanese Hideyuki Ozaki, says that, at the time, the main production challenge was adapting the production temperature.

“Brazil is a tropical country and the main challenge was the temperature during production, because a controlled temperature is required for production. Our factory is in the city of Campinas, which is hot, so we had to invest in air conditioning to produce quality sake,” he said.

Another challenge for the company was to expand its market beyond the Japanese community in the country. It was thanks to Brazilians’ creativity in adapting ingredients to their tastes and consumption habits that the sake consumption market grew in the country. With sakerinha, a drink based on the traditional caipirinha, Azuma saw that there was a large space to be explored in the cocktail market.

“Our factory is about to turn 90 and the consumption of sake has changed a lot during this period. In Japan, it is drunk pure and cold, but here Brazilians like to mix it. Instead of using cachaça, a drink with over 40% alcohol, many people started using sake, which has between 14% and 15%. Sake is a very versatile and neutral drink, which is why it has become popular in Brazil,” said Ozaki.

The company was acquired by Japanese giant Kikkoman in April 2020.

Flavored Sakes

According to information from the Japanese Sake and Schochu Brewing Association, from 2012 to 2022 there was a 296% increase in consumption of the drink in the country.

Data from the Japanese government indicates that, since 2020, imports of the drink to Brazil have increased by around 20% per year, and could exceed 250 thousand liters by the end of 2023.

With the aim of expanding its target audience, the brand recently launched a line of flavored sakes suitable for use in drinks. There are two flavor options: Honey with notes of vanilla and Tangerine with Pink Pepper. Prices range from R$40 to R$60 for a 740 ml bottle.

How is sake made?

Sake is a fermented rice-based drink. To make the drink, the rice grains need to be polished so that the starch inside them is exposed. Then, it is cooked and Koji, a fungus that turns the starch into alcohol, comes into play.

Another specificity is that the fermentation process needs to be carried out at a controlled temperature, which is why the factory needs to have a refrigerated space just for this purpose. Water is another important ingredient, and the choice of the factory location, in Campinas, took this into consideration.

Ozaki points out that 100% of the raw material used by Azuma is national and that because the rice harvest was unique and took place at the beginning of autumn, the floods in Rio Grande do Sul did not affect production.

The company did not disclose production and revenue figures.