Founded in 1862 by Yamada Heizaemon in the town of Kanie (Aichi Prefecture), Kankyo Shuzou is rooted in the tradition of breweries established along rivers, where the quality of groundwater and ease of transport favoured production, in a once-flourishing context of which only two houses survive today.
Forced to abandon mirin during the Second World War in favour of sake, before resuming its production in 1951, the house has been crafting both products ever since. Drawing on the use of locally grown rice — a determining factor in the finesse and character of the mirin — it further distinguishes itself through the distillation of its own shochu and its refusal to add any sugar or additives, favouring a longer process that lends its products a natural expression of great purity.
