Muri Drinks Koji Rice Series 1
Muri Drinks Koji Rice Series 1
Muri Drinks is an innovative beverage producer based in Denmark. Founded in 2020 by Murray Paterson, a UK expat living in Copenhagen, Muri is pushing the realm of possibility in non-alcoholic drinks through foraging, fermentation, and blending. Muri uses culinary techniques and unusual ingredients to create blends that go beyond other alcohol alternatives. Muri is informed and inspired by the gastronomic community in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s expertise in fermentation techniques. Muri Drinks is obsessed with flavor and relentless in its pursuit of a quality beverage that is complex and deeply satisfying, with or without alcohol, and changing perceptions around the no- and low-alcohol space.
Muri’s Koji Rice Series 1 is the first of Muri’s explorations into koji-based fermentation. Koji Rice Series 1 is a cuvée of koji fermented rice wine, mahlab, and kefir made from beechwood-smoked lavender. It begins with rice and koji, steamed and blended to kickstart this umami-focused fermentation. It then sees a short, four-day fermentation with the brewery’s signature pichia kluyveri yeast, allowing for fermentation without alcohol development. This koji rice base is then infused with mahlab, a spice from the center of the cherry pit often seen in Middle Eastern desserts. Finally, it is blended with water kefir made with beechwood-smoked lavender, lending lactic acidity and a subtle complexity to the entire beverage. Koji Rice Series 1 is expertly blended to create a drink that could be mistaken for a light, unfiltered sake or makgeolli. It is a delicious and food-friendly non-alcoholic alternative, with no added sulfites, artificial additives, flavors, or preservatives. By using techniques and flavor profiles connected to the culinary world, Fade to Black is an ideal companion to food and a progressive take on the traditional sake pairing.
Flavor Profile – Light and unfiltered, Koji Rice Series 1 has a natural starchiness and acidity that give it a delicate and compelling texture. The palate includes winter melon, enoki mushrooms, a touch of bright florality, and a gentle backbone of cinnamon and warm spices.
Usage Notes – Store vertically and serve chilled. While delicious on its own, Koji Rice Series 1 truly shines with food. Try with crunchy vegetables, fatty sushi, creamy desserts, or even as a counterpoint to spicy dishes, such as kimchi fried rice or green papaya salad.