Doburoku (cloudy unfiltered rice sake)

Doburoku, also written 濁酒 (nigorizake, "cloudy sake"), is a type of sake made by fermenting rice. Because the moromi (fermentation mash) is bottled as it is without being filtered, the drink has a cloudy appearance. The origins of doburoku are very old and closely tied to the history of sake. It was once treasured as a sacred drink offered to the gods. It was used in particular as one of the sakes offered to the deities when praying for a good harvest, and ordinary people came to enjoy it by receiving what was left over after the offering. However, in the Meiji era, taxes on sake became stricter, and when home brewing was banned in 1899 (Meiji 32), doburoku culture went into decline. Today, traces of it can still be seen in events such as the doburoku festivals held at Shinto shrines. Under the Liquor Tax Act, doburoku is classified as "other brewed alcoholic beverages" (その他醸造酒), a position that differs from the legal definition of sake. In recent years, handmade doburoku produced by traditional methods has attracted attention and has at times been reassessed as an artisanal drink.