Similar to how whales gulp water, there is an expression for drinking a lot of liquor ”Geiin (drink like a whale)”. And a drunken whale becomes ”Suigei Shuzo (drunken whale ”sake” brewer)”. The word ”Suigei” originally comes from the head of the Tosa clan, Yodo Yamau whose pen name was ”Geikai Suikou” during the Bakumatsu period. It means ”drunken lord of the ocean where the whales live”. It is said he chose the name for himself, so Lord Yodo must have been quite a ”sake” lover.
He wrote many ”sake” themes poems. One of the most famous is ”Nishuu Shuro ni Insu (drinking for 2 large buildings)” which expresses the loneliness and nostalgia of being a lord.
It begins like this.
”Yesterday, I got drunk at the southern bridge, and today I get drunk at the northern bridge
When you have ”sake”, you should drink. I shall get drunk.”
Infusing the blessings of the water into ”sake”
”Suigei”, which is named after Lord Yodo who loved ”sake”, is a mellow dry variety that has a strong character.
It is a signature ”sake” that uses water from Tosayama, Kochi (originally known as Tosayama village) where Kagamigawa River originates.
Kagamigawa River is where Ryoma Sakamoto swam and played as a child, and it is also featured in the novel ”Kagamigawa” by Shotaro Yasuoka. The name of the river (literally ”mirror river”) comes from a story that the fifth Lord of the Tosa feudal domain, Toyofusa Yamauchi said ”the river reflects my image like a mirror”. The water is clear and it is suitable for making ”sake” and has been used since the old times.
”Suigei”, a ”sake” from Tosa that brings makes you think of history and nature. You can drink like a whale, or cherish the flavor. But either way, we suggest you get drunk like Lord Yodo.
