Waka Ebis Brewery
One of the oldest sake breweries in Iga, Waka Ebis was founded in 1853 by a former innkeeper who recognized the advantages of the region for brewing sake. The brewery’s name means “young Ebisu,” Ebisu being a Japanese god of fortune. Over 165 years after they began brewing, Waka Ebis continues to make high-quality sake. Inside the brewery is a small display room full of tools that were used to make sake before the process was industrialized during the twentieth century.
Waka Ebis believes that the best sake comes from high-quality ingredients and well-trained employees. Cleanliness is paramount—in addition to keeping their facility sterilized, Waka Ebis even helps to clean up the neighborhood around the brewery each year. Waka Ebis sets itself apart from other breweries in Iga by using 80 different strains of yeast and unconventional production methods. They continuously challenge the status quo of sake production by milling their own rice and blending different yeasts to create unique flavors.
Their most popular sake is Gizaemon, a blend of sake brewed with different yeasts and named for their nineteenth-century founder, Gizaemon Shigefuji. Celebrating their historical beginnings while embracing sake technology of the future, Waka Ebis continues to be a prominent and beloved fixture in Iga.
