Regional brand · Yamaguchi
Takamori Drunken Wagyu
Yamaguchi Wagyu fed sake lees, marketed as Takamori 'Drunken Wagyu.'
- Region
- Yamaguchi (Iwakuni Farm)
- Breed
- Japanese Black
- Grade claim
- Marketed as A5
- Feed
- Sake lees (sake kasu)
- Structure
- Single-farm program
Where to eat it8
Roka Akor - San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Prime & Providence
West Des Moines, IA
RPM Steak
Chicago, IL
Maple & Ash
Chicago, IL
KATAMI
Houston, TX
Bourbon Boulevard
Chantilly, VA
Ozumo San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Gekko
Miami, FL
Where to buy it2
The Wagyu Shop
Japanese A5 (Hokkaido, Kobe, Miyazakigyu, Motobu Gyu, Olive Wagyu, Takamori), American, Australian
WAGYUMAN
Japanese A5 only (2 SKUs): Bushu Wagyu (Saitama), Takamori Drunken Wagyu (Yamaguchi)
The drunken Wagyu
Takamori Drunken Wagyu is raised on a single farm in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and takes its nickname from an unusual part of the diet: sake lees, the rice-and-yeast solids left after sake is pressed. Importers say the lees come from the nearby Dassai brewery, also in Yamaguchi; that supplier detail rests on importer marketing rather than independent confirmation.
Sake lees are the solid byproduct left after pressing sake, but they can retain alcohol and should not be described as alcohol-free. The cattle are fed the byproduct rather than served sake as a drink; the "drunken" name refers to that feed.
What sets it apart
Producer and importer materials describe a small program with limited U.S. distribution. The beef is marketed as A5, and sensory claims about sweetness or softness are attributed to the brand's sake-lees feeding story rather than treated as independently measured facts.
Common questions
- Does Takamori Wagyu actually drink sake?
- The documented marketing claim is that the cattle eat sake lees (sake kasu), the solids left after pressing sake, mixed into feed. Sake lees can retain alcohol, but this is different from giving cattle sake as a beverage. The "drunken" name refers to the feed.
Looking for the U.S. ranches that raise Wagyu? See the farms · The Kobe list · How to spot authentic Wagyu