I ran into Mr. Terasawa and his team at Summer JFEX 2026. What caught my eye was something that I had believed was Japanese plum wine. It wasn’t, exactly. The second thing I noticed was the curious logo, a dog wearing an umeboshi hat. Okay, plausible: almost anything goes these days. Then, there was the name itself, “Baidog.” Baidog is a portmanteau word, like spork. Bai = ume and dog = dog, of course. Before I move on to other matters, permit me to offer a few observations on Japan’s sour plum, umeboshi.
The sour plum is actually fairly close to an apricot. It is a wonderful little creature, which can be ultra-sour, extremely salty, or honey-glazed and dulcet. It is also salubrious. Wakayama is a prefecture famous for its umeboshi, and the Baidog people use not only Wakayama plums but those produced by Hamada Farm, which does not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
As for dogs, I like them. My favorite breeds are the extinct spitdog (definitely not what you are thinking [see picture]; a.k.a., “kitchen cur”) and a little-down-to-basics beauty canis nudus, the hairless dog of Peru.
I’m coming up on the sensory evaluation now, but I just want to comment on the color and alcohol content. The interesting shade of pink is from red cabbage: nothing unnatural here. The alcohol is 28% ABV.
Sensory Evaluation: Baidog Umeboshi Liqueur. Perhaps a good way to describe this is by using the expression “a horse of a different color.” This is different from most liqueurs. It’s red and fruity with a color approximating that of Campari (not a liqueur) and fruit flavor not dissimilar to that of Cherry Heering. The sweetness level is somewhat subdued by the presence of acidity. On the nose there is fruit of course, but it is a bit indistinct. On the palate it is clearly identifiable as that of umeboshi. Initially, I drank it straight. This drink makes a very good shooter, but owing to the sweetness, subdued as it may be, it appears to be more suitable in cocktails. The good people of the Baidog have many suggestions along those lines, but I decided to mix it with lemon soda. It worked like a charm or a spitdog on holiday or a canis nudus with a wig. In short, it was enjoyable. Woof, Woof.
Link: https://baidog.xyz/
