About "Ryukyu Awamori Kuusu no Sato" Cooperative Association

Ryukyu Awamori kuusu no Sato" was established in May 2008 by 42 breweries in the Okinawa Prefecture as a cooperative to promote and educate people about Awamori culture and its appeal.as well as specialize in the sale of old sake.

What is kuusu?

Also known as Old Awamori, it’s a type of aged Awamori, called "Kuusu" in the Okinawan language. There is a regulation that the distilled Awamori must be aged in a jar or enameled tank for at least three years. This technique of maturing for more than three years is also used for Scotch whisky, and it is allowed to be called "Scotch whisky" if it is matured for more than three years in a bonded warehouse in Scotland where barrels are matured. It is likely that the forerunners knew that aging would improve the quality of the drink and make it deeper and more delicious.

History of Old Awamori

Old Awamori has a long history dating back to the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and there are records of it being offered to and praised by important people such as the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate, the three noble families, and senior samurai, as well as the envoys of the Chinese emperor and foreigners who came to Ryukyu. It is also said that before the war, most of the famous families in Shuri had "old sake" that had been aged for more than 100 or 200 years, and even for about 300 years, or the "Kangxi period" (1662-1722) according to the Chinese year. Unfortunately, most of them were burned down in the last World War and became "phantom" sake. After the war, the Awamori industry started from scratch to make new "old sake", and nowadays not only are there breweries with 40 or 50 years old sake, but also many people who grow their own "old sake" personally. and an increasing number of enthusiasts who affectionately describe old sake making not only as a hobby, but also as an asset.

Old Awamori in Storage at kuusu no sato

There are a number of large tanks in the "kuusu no sato" where 44-proof sake purchased from various breweries in the prefecture is stored. In September 2018, we sold a 5-year old sake with an alcohol content of 40 degrees, which took a long time to mature. In November 2020, it won the Okinawa Regional Taxation Office Director's Award at the Awamori Appraisal Contest In February 2021, it went on sale as the Okinawa Regional Taxation Office Director's Award-winning kuusu no Sato 7 Year Old Sake 44 degrees.

(For reference only)

What is the Kingdom of Ryukyu?

Okinawa Prefecture was once a kingdom called Ryukyu Kingdom, which was established in 1429 and existed in the southwestern islands of Japan for 450 years until 1879. In 1609, the Satsuma Clan of Japan invaded and occupied Shuri Castle in the Ryukyu Islands, and for the next 270 years, the Ryukyu Kingdom existed in the delicate position of being a dependency of Satsuma and the Tokugawa Shogunate. In 1879, the Japanese government established by the Meiji Restoration dispatched troops to expel the royal family from Shuri Castle and proclaimed the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture, and the Ryukyu Kingdom died out and became Okinawa Prefecture.