The product is made from L'Eclectier, a rare "fantastic pear" produced in Niigata Prefecture, and will be available at Seven-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, York Mart, and other stores nationwide from November 11, 2025 (Tuesday).
(Head office: 73 Oaza-Kozaruya, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture; Representative Director: Kazushi Tsukada) has collaborated with the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Yoshifumi Kuwata; hereinafter JA Zen-Noh), which is a group company of Zen-Noh Foods Corporation (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Chihisa Kaneko), a group company of JA Zen-Noh, will release "Le Lectier Sour" made with Le Lectier juice produced in Niigata Prefecture and gin from Echigo medicinal herbs. By making effective use of out-of-spec fruit, this sour contributes to supporting producers and creating a sustainable community.
On sale at Seven-Eleven stores in the Niigata and Hokuriku areas from Tuesday, November 11, and at Seven-Eleven stores in the Tohoku, North Kanto, Saitama, and Tokai areas from Tuesday, November 18. It will also be available at supermarkets such as Ito-Yokado and York Mart.
*Some stores may not carry the product.
Collaboration Background
JA Zen-Noh's "Domestic Fruit Juice Sour" is a nationwide project that aims to improve producers' income and revitalize local communities. This year marks the third year for the development of "Le Lectier Sour," and JA Zen-Noh wanted to create a sake that would bring out the individuality of the fruit, so we decided to cooperate in the development. By blending gin made from Echigo medicinal herbs, we were able to enhance the mellow aroma and depth of the rare Niigata-produced Le Lectier and create a drink that lets you feel the entirety of Niigata's nature.
What is a "domestic fruit juice sour"?
The "Domestic Fruit Juice Sour" series, a hit product with cumulative sales of approximately 15 million units*, is a series of community-supporting sours made from domestically produced fruit, developed by Zenkoku Noukyou Foods. The series is designed to both support producers and reduce food loss by creating new demand for fruits, for example, by considering unused portions of agricultural produce as resources rather than waste.
This is an initiative of social significance that uses local specialty fruits as ingredients to deliver the unique taste of each region to the rest of the country. Currently, the project is being expanded to all regions of Japan, and is attracting attention as a progressive project with an eye toward the "future of sustainable agriculture.
*From 2021 to 2024, surveyed by all farmers.
Kazushi Tsukada, Representative Director Comments
Echigo Yakuso has a philosophy of "making fermentation healthy and beautiful." At our distillery, we utilize unused resources such as plants and fruit peels as fermentation materials to achieve a cycle that produces as little wastewater and waste as possible.
JA Zen-Noh's "Domestic Fruit Juice Sour" concept of "supporting producers" and "upcycling" overlaps with the very foundation of our manufacturing.
When I opened the can, I felt the herbal and refreshing aroma of THE HERBALIST YASO, and when I drank it, I found the mellow aroma and taste of Le Lectier combined with a herbal flavor that was both mellow and refreshing.
Through this collaboration, we hope to convey the appeal of Le Lectier, Niigata's pride, to as many people as possible, and together, we hope to expand the creation of regionally circulating sake that is both "delicious" and "gentle".
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