Amazake Brown Rice Drink

The SF Foodie column at sfweekly.com reminded that I haven't written about Amazake, one of the oldest and most widely distributed rice-based milk alternatives.

Brown rice is a delight in the clutches of Emeryville's Grainaissance, which makes 14 different versions of its naturally sweetened, dairy-free and gluten-free Amazake Rice Shake.

Grainaissance, despite the labored pun, is a major player in the field.

Since 1979, we at Grainaissance have been dedicated to making great-tasting, nutritious products from brown rice. Starting with organic, whole-grain brown rice (we do not used milled rice), we add almonds, raisins, non-dutched cocoa, cinnamon and an abundance of other whole foods to create our distinctive flavors. We never use oils or animal products; we keep salt and even natural flavor concentrates to a minimum. Also, all of our products are certified kosher. We think eating should be fun, and we're proud to say that our products are not only healthy and delicious, but are entertaining as well! Our products stem from a long line of traditional Japanese foods, and we employ time-honored Japanese methods to produce them.

And Amazake comes in fifteen flavors.