Hakutsuru is one of the largest sake breweries and has been brewing sake for almost 270 years. In addition to sake, they also produce shochu (Japanese distillate), mirin (cooking sake) and liqueurs (e.g. Plaumen liqueur). The Hakutsuru brewery is located in the Nada district near Kobe. It serves rice and water of the highest quality and the cool winters are ideal for sake production. Hakutsuru means crane, this graceful bird symbolically represents Hakutsuru's long history of high quality and excellent taste.