Snow-chilled sake shipments begin in Gifu, central Japan
A local dealer in Kawaicho in Hida City -- known for its heavy snowfall -- has been storing the bottles of locally made sake in a snow-covered hut for about three months after brewing to enhance the flavor.
On Wednesday morning, the bottles were taken from the storage area, which is kept at nearly zero degrees Celsius. They were then packaged in foam boxes filled with snow and decorated with peach tree branches.
Company President Nakahata Hirokazu said he hopes the chilled sake will refresh his customers amid the scorching heat gripping much of Japan.
He added he wants more people to know about Kawaicho through this product.
The company is set to ship about 3,000 bottles of the brew to many parts of Japan by the end of July.
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