HAYASHI HONTEN SAKE BREWERY
Some aspects of brewery life created quite beautiful moments and images. I vividly remember, on
my first day standing in the brewery and thinking “it’s raining in here!” (and it really was). The rice
steamer was going full blast and the billowing steam had risen, condensed on the cold roof and was
now dripping back down, creating a mini rain shower. At other times you’d emerge from the koji room
into a dense fog of steam hanging in the air like dragon’s breath.
Shoes, and the frequent changing thereof, was another unforeseen aspect of brewery life. I’ve lived in
Japan and am very used to swapping shoes when going from one space to another, in fact I’m totally
on board with the idea; however, when you’re carrying a 15kg bag of steaming rice over your shoulder
and it’s burning a hole in your back the LAST thing you want to do is take off one pair of shoes, put
on another, climb a flight of stairs, cross a room, take off the shoes, put on another pair before finally
heaving the rice up onto a table!
But these little idiosyncrasies are what give each brewery its character. They are the things you
really remember, that hook into your soul and make you smile when you recall them. That and the
indomitable spirit of the people who work there. Come rain, shine, sleet, snow, hot, cold, untimely
slipper changes or not - they’re there, giving it their all so that we can all enjoy one of the greate