While Koten Brewing Company was founded in 1871, the year 1928 was transformative for them. That year, the brewery earned the Honorary Award at the National Sake Tasting Competition, becoming the first from Nagano prefecture to do so. Since then, this area has received more recognition for sake production. The brewers pride themselves on crafting “suberakkoi” sake. In the local dialect, that means sake that’s round, smooth and easy to drink. Their sake, which is brewed during the deep cold of winter on the north side of Lake Suwa, tends to be dry with a crisp finish.