"In 2005, a unique yeast strain called AA-41 from Kochi Prefecture was sent into space aboard a spacecraft spending 10 days on the ISS orbiting 400 kilometers above Earth becoming the world's first "space yeast.' In 2021, that same yeast embarked on another extraordinary journey: a 5-month stay 6,200 meters beneath the ocean surface, enduring pressures of 620 atmospheres.
This sake is crafted using that "Space-Deep Sea Yeast;" whose survival odds were one in 300 million, together with Tosa Urara, a premium sake rice grown in Kochi. Named "Bõken Ippo" after our brewer, Mr. Ippo Takagi, whose name means "first step" in Japanese, this sake is both a tribute to his craft and a reflection of our spirit of exploration. It symbolizes our shared ambition to venture boldly into uncharted territory, and to take that important first step toward new frontiers few have dared to travel."