Doburoku is officially released!

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DOBUROKU
An ancient style of nigori (cloudy) sake that’s 100% unfiltered and retains some chunkiness of the fermented rice. Doburoku is an ancient alcoholic drink that is illegal for home-brewing in Japan and limited to be produced by only a handful of breweries. The sake you drink nowadays that has been clarified are modern styles possible due to technology. Rice farmers long ago did not have the technology or the tools to be able to clarify sake so they would ferment rice and just drink the mash straight up. This is the rawest form of sake, a piece of history we introduce in a modern way in our own style.

James’ JOURNEY
“Bear with me because I have a lot to talk about this product. This is a product that I can say it took me about 4 years of R&D. It’s a style of sake that I fell in love with when I was in Japan 5 years ago when I was there to train as a brewer. The product that inspired me was ‘Junmai Doburoku’ by Tokyo Port Brewery (東京港酒造). When I talked to the brewer, his intention was clear that he tried to modernize this old style and introduce it to the younger generations. Basically I wanted to do the same but do it here in LA in my own style. Now, I got trained to make more premium style sake like our Gravity and Eclipse but nobody taught me how to make Doburoku. I found out making Doburoku was not as simple as going from 3 stage method (3-dan jikomi) to 1 stage method (1-dan jikomi). The rice has to break down more than you would in premium style and that was a challenge working with Californian rice, Calrose which is harder than Japanese sake rice. Also, because the sake is unfiltered, selling it nama (unpasteurized) was a huge issue as it is impossible to naturally stop the fermentation and it’ll keep fermenting in the bottle and explode. Which was why we never released it for to go. Also, if Doburoku ferments for too long, it becomes too dry and will taste super boozy, bitter and unbalanced. I personally felt sweetness is a necessity in this style to taste good. Another thing I wanted was that natural bubble from fermenting in the bottle to balance out the sweetness and make it more…for a lack of better words, crushable. Over the years at Nova, I experimented fermenting with beer yeasts which are generally weaker than sake yeast to stop the fermentation at lower ABV, I experimented fermenting at different temperature, different water levels in the rice, different water levels in the tank, adjusting rice and koji ratios, using different types of koji, we tried packaging it in all kinds of bottles and cans, and even experimented making it with fruits and koji grown on cacao nibs. I even went on a Doburoku research trip to Japan a couple years ago where I visited some new Doburoku breweries popping up, and sought out Doburoku on sale and tasted over 30 brands (I lost count and even got tired of drinking Doburoku). I learned from that trip that Doburoku really has no limits to what it can be. The alcohol can range from 4% to a whopping 22%, super sweet to super dry, some even pink colored from the type of yeast they used, some with red beans in it, some with fruits in it, some with hops (yes the ingredient that’s heavily used in IPAs), some with a lot of rice pieces in it and some where rice has been crushed to make it more thicker and creamier, some with natural bubbles some with no bubbles and etc. I realized this gives me a lot of freedom to make Doburoku the way I want and can have fun with it. Last year, we were busy upgrading our equipments to increase production of our Gravity and Eclipse  to distribute to San Francisco and Las Vegas so I didn’t have much time to do much R&D of Doburoku except the Doburoku Kuro we made with all black koji. Last year I got many requests from customers to sell them our Doburoku bottles that were meant for tasting room only. Honestly, not only the risk factor of exploding bottles, but for me it was not a finished product and I wanted to work on the recipe more before I released it for sale officially. I loved this style so much that I wanted to do it right and release it when I made the Doburoku of my dreams. Well, I came home last night after long day of work and did tasting for quality check and next thing I know I downed 2 bottles and thought to my self, this is my favorite Doburoku ever. I was able to make the Doburoku of my dreams, with the help of my team at Nova.”

NEW DOBUROKU
We are calling this our new Doburoku because it’s basically a remake of all the unofficial batches we’ve previously made. Here are improvements we made:
– Aroma/Flavor: clean fresh rice aroma with notes of apple, pear, banana and yeast – we fermented slow and cold just like our premium lineup
– Rice ratio: not too much that it is unpleasant, but you still see rice pieces in it which for us is the signature of this style
– Carbonation: just right amount of natural carbonation to avoid exploding (still needs to be treated like any other carbonated beverages – any shaking or warm temperature will make it overflow when opening)
– Bottle: new pressure rated bottle- As always: all natural with no chemicals, no added sugar, gluten free
The result is a refreshing semi-sweet and creamy beverage balanced out by the acidity from the carbonation that starts with a lot of freshly steamed rice flavors and finishes with stone fruit and yeasty characters. The rice melts in your mouth and doesn’t feel too heavy due to the bubbles.

AVAILABILITY
We are proud to be the first and the only sake brewery in the US to officially launch this style and we chose 3 stores beside our tasting room that will have this product available:

Now available at for pickup and shipping at:

Nova Brewing Co.1580 W. San Bernardino Rd. Unit H, Covina, CA 91722
novabrewingco.com

Available starting next week:

Blackbeard’s Crafts
1820 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Sake Secret
460 Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802

Eataly
10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90067

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In case anyone is wondering, this guy on the label we’re calling him Mr. Nonbe (pronounced nohm beh). Mr. Nonbe lives a peaceful and relaxing life in the countryside drinking Doburoku after a long day of rice farming which is probably not good for his health but at least he’s working hard and drinking hard and he’s happy. We don’t recommend anyone to be heavy drinker like Mr. Nonbe but hope our Doburoku brings happiness like it does to him.

We are hiring! Sales and Marketing Representative wanted.

Job Title: Sales and Marketing Representative

Company: Nova Brewing Co.

Nova Brewing Co., a leading craft sake brewery in Los Angeles, is seeking a dynamic and results-oriented Sales and Marketing Representative to join our passionate team. As a Sales and Marketing Representative at Nova Brewing Co., you will play a vital role in promoting and expanding our brand presence in the local market. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a growing industry and contribute to the success of a renowned sake brewery.

Responsibilities:

  • Build and maintain strong relationship with existing customer base, receive orders, make deliveries and collect payment.
  • Develop and execute sales and marketing strategies to achieve revenue targets and increase market share.
  • Identify and establish relationships with potential clients, including restaurants, bars, retail stores, and distributors.
  • Conduct sales presentations and product demonstrations to educate and engage potential customers about Nova Brewing Co.’s sake & beer offerings.
  • Collaborate with the production team to ensure an adequate supply of products to meet customer demands.
  • Plan and execute promotional events, tastings, and trade shows to raise brand awareness and drive sales.
  • Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and customer feedback to provide insights and recommendations for product development and marketing strategies.
  • Track and analyze sales data, prepare sales reports, and present findings to management.

Qualifications:

  • English required. Proficiency in Japanese and knowledge in Japanese customs and culture highly preferred.
  • Strong knowledge of craft sake/beer or a willingness to learn about the craft sake/beer brewing process and products.
  • Proven experience in sales and marketing, preferably in the beverage or alcohol industry.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to meet and exceed sales targets and drive business growth.
  • Self-motivated and proactive with a passion for sales and marketing.
  • Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Car in good working condition, valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for travel within the Los Angeles area.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are interested in joining Nova Brewing Co. Email your application to careers@novabrewingco.com with the subject line “Sales and Marketing Representative Application – [Your Name]”.

At Nova Brewing Co., we value diversity and equal opportunity. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Join Nova Brewing Co. and be part of an exciting journey to promote the art of sake brewing and share our exceptional products with sake enthusiasts in Los Angeles!

Ginjo 7 RED is released!

GINJO 7 SERIES: We found that not only our sake yeast ferments well in beer, it adds unique flavor and aroma that give it a special character. We found that the yeast strain is very versatile and is very active in both lager and ale temperatures. As a hybrid beer/sake brewery, we will be exploring how this yeast performs in other styles of beers. This is the second part in the series called Ginjo 7 RED.

GINJO 7 RED LABEL: Brown ale brewed with sake yeast #701, sansho peppers and orange peel. 6.5% ABV.

INSPIRATION: We love Belgian beers. Our Brown Ale is inspired by Belgian Brown Ales perfect for the cold winter season. No gimmicks, no fruit purees, no excessive hops, not too rich, not too light. We’re going back to basics with this classic style that allows the flavor of the raw grains shine, with a little spicy Nova touch. Traditionally, Belgian beers are often brewed with coriander seeds and orange peel but we switched out the coriander seeds for Sansho peppers.

SANSHO: Sansho (zanthoxylum piperitum) is a Japanese pepper closely related to Sichuan pepper, and offers a lemony aroma with earthy spiciness and that tongue-numbing effect. At first you get that warm malty, bready taste of brown ale, but the finish is strangely addicting and refreshing with subtle citrus and unique spiciness coming from the sansho pepper.

Available for pickup at our tasting room : 16oz single can: $5.50, 4packs :20.00. Now available on our online store at https://shop.novabrewingco.com/

Hatsukoi -strawberry infused nigori sake – is released!

350ml and 750ml

Hatsukoi means “First Love” in Japanese. The name has been inspired by [Hatsukoi no Kaori] which is the name of one of the first white strawberries. The strawberry actually has a pinkish tinge just like our saké that turned out pink due to the combination of white cloudiness of the saké and red strawberries. Strawberry is often related to first love in Japan because the fruit is sweet and sour just like young, inexperienced love.

INSPIRATION: We originally did not plan to make any fruited saké, but we wanted to try something special for the upcoming holidays. The HATSUKOI strawberry cloudy saké was inspired by Japan’s tradition of eating strawberry shortcake on Christmas.

LOCAL: We used 100% fresh Californian strawberries and of course our saké is made of 100% Californian Calrose rice polished to 50%. Just like our regular lineup, this is a namazaké meaning fresh, unpasteurized saké with no additives and no sugar added and slightly effervescent.

Enjoy Nova Brewing’s first fruited saké this Christmas season. This is a limited, seasonal release and we will not be making it again (until maybe next year). 15% ABV. Available for pickup at our tasting room in two sizes: 750ml: $27.00, 375ml: 15.00. Now available on our online store at https://shop.novabrewingco.com/

What is Saké?

Saké(Nihonshu/酒/日本酒) is general term used for rice wine. Some non-sake drinker pronounce it as ˈsɑːki or ˈsækeɪ, however, the pronunciation is more close to SAK-ay.

Sake is not spirits but fermented beverage like wine or beer, although it has high alcohol percentage around 14% to 20%. What is distinctive is that sake has sweetness and umami and sake does not have high acidity like wine. The main ingredients for sake are rice, koji, and water. Starch from rice convert to sugar by koji, then the sugar to alcohol with yeast. The range of flavor and aroma are narrower for sake than for other alcoholic beverages such as wine. The yeast plays important role for this aroma. The yeast from brewing society of Japan is the most commonly used strain for ginjo type of sake. Nova imports this yeast from Japan.

If you like wine but never tried sake, please try Nova’s sake series and Ginjo7 beer.

Gravity sake:

Literally pressed by the earth’s gravitational pull. Meaning no pressure was applied to the mash as the sake is left to drip from a hanging bag to separate the liquid from the mash. This technique is actually called ‘shizuku’ that directly translates to ‘drip’ which is a more traditional and premium method used in Japan for pressing sake than our vacuum method or the most common method using ‘fune.’ This method gives us a lot less yield than the vacuum method and since there’s no pressure applied, you get the cleanest sake with no off-flavors or harshness. Breweries in Japan use this method only for their most premium brands.

Vacuum sake:

The sake was literally pressed (separating liquid from the mash) by vacuum pressure. This is an unconventional method of pressing the sake that is not commonly used in Japan. In order to extract the sake out of the thick rice mash, the mash is sealed in an air pressurized tank and the sake is literally sucked out of the tank. Most commercially available sake are made by pressing method that totally crushes the rice mash to draw out high yield of sake, but crushing the mash too much can draw out off-flavors or harshness. Thus, Nova decided to create a vacuum of space in the tank to put enough pressure to extract the sake but not enough pressure to crush the rice mash. Result is less yield but clean and refined sake.

Ginjo7 hybrid lagar:

Hybrid lager beer that was brewed with local Calrose rice steamed using techniques from sake production instead of flaked rice traditionally used in commercial lagers. The word “ginjo” is used in the sake industry to indicate a sake style of aromatic nature while the “7” comes from the #701 sake yeast strain.

Sparkling Vacuum Sake on tap!

We carbonated the VACUUM sake (15.0% abv) just like we would with beer and put it fresh on tap! The carbonation adds refreshing mouthfeel and higher acidity making it ideal for pairing with greasy/cheesy foods. Bet you won’t find this anywhere else in the whole county! Available only at our tasting room.

Blu Yuzu Beer is released!

Blu Yuzu is limited and seasonal release with 4.00% abv and available for togo and tasting at our tasting room. It is currently trending berliner weisse with tons of yuzu flavor and blueberry. Not too sour but tart and very refreshing on a hot day!

Vacuum at TonChinKan in Arcadia!

TonChinKan in Arcadia now carry Vacuum Misty.

Tonchinkan Izakaya’s ambience, wide selection of beers, Japanese sake and Japanese style tapas provides a truly unique dining experience. Our favorite menu there is handmade tofu and grilled beef tongue.

Please visit them and try their food with Vacuum misty.

Izakaya TonChinKan
713 W Duarte Rd Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 461-5078