The concept of kijoshu sake was conceived by the National Brewery Institute based on an ancient description of Japanese sake written by a brewery master of the Sake Brewery Division of the Imperial Household Agency that appears in a legal document of the Heian period, "Engishiki" (an ancient book for codes and procedures on national rites and prayers) (published in 927).
貴醸酒は、国立醸造試験所が、日本酒中古の日本酒古文書『延喜式』（927年）に記されている宮内庁造酒司による古代酒の製法「しおり」をもとに考案した。