Author: drinkingjapan

This is the blog about Drinking Japan by the authors of Drinking Japan: It's Not Just Sake available at fine bookstores everywhere and on Amazon Japan.

Oh, Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam and Hopefully Get on My Plate!

A recent visit to Northern Thailand brought us to Witheelaab Charoenmuang, which was recognized by Michelin in 2025 and 2026. The restaurant specializes in Northern Thai cuisine, which is significantly different from what one finds in, say, Bangkok. The establishment is located in Chiang Mai. We were especially interested in the raw buffalo dishes. Visitors … Continue reading Oh, Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam and Hopefully Get on My Plate! →

Satonowa’s Japanese Herbal Liqueur: Elegant Elixirs from Shiga Prefecture

These are no slapdash concoctions whipped up “Love Potion No. 9” style. As the subtitle makes clear, they are elegant, and they contain some of our favorite ingredients. The base liquor for both is the seldom-seen kasutori shochu, or sake-kasu shochu (sake-cake shochu). This is rice-based shochu made by refermenting the sake lees. It is … Continue reading Satonowa’s Japanese Herbal Liqueur: Elegant Elixirs from Shiga Prefecture →

Trumpeting the Spirit: L’Orient’s Grappa from Muscat Bailey A

L’Orient is an award-winning, Yamanashi-based winery that was established in 1938. Good sign, good sign, good sign. To add another good sign, it is family run! And to add just one more good sign, they know what they are doing. I had the good fortune to meet the vintner, Mr. Uchida, at the Gourmet Show, … Continue reading Trumpeting the Spirit: L’Orient’s Grappa from Muscat Bailey A →

Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association’s Media Event (July 14, 2026): I Left Stirred, Not Shaken

Sake Cup as Boat, Okumura, Masanobu, Edo Period A sultry evening in Tokyo found me at a JSS Media Event, which the organization holds periodically for journalists and sundry. The speaker was Associate Professor Yuki Hata from Meijo University, Nagoya. She was enthusiastically telling those assembled about Edo Period manga containing references to sake and … Continue reading Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association’s Media Event (July 14, 2026): I Left Stirred, Not Shaken →

The Sincerity of Simplicity: The Joys of Kvass

Rye, Ivan Shishkin (1832-98) There are times when even the most dedicated bon vivant finds pleasure in the simplest drinks and dishes, when the farmhouse apple brandy gives more satisfaction than what is contained in that pricey bottle in the bottle shop, when a slice of dark bread topped with a generous serving of butter … Continue reading The Sincerity of Simplicity: The Joys of Kvass →