Fallen Apples* The word cat makes an appearance in a number of English expressions, the often-used “to let the cat out of the bag,” the ever off-putting “to skin a cat,” and the inscrutable “to rain cats and dogs,” for example. Lesser-known of course are the obsolete “you kill my cat and I’ll kill your … Continue reading An Apple Called “Cat” and What It Can Do
Mercury* Merlot is a mercurial grape: it can produce a red-fruit forward wine (think strawberries) or one heavy in the direction of black, like black plums. To some extent, it very much depends upon whimsical Mother Nature: when she blows cold, you usually can expect the former; when she is a bit hot under the … Continue reading Clos Sainte-Anne Merlot 2014
This is the seventh entry in our multi-part series on marketing Japan to affluent foreign tourists. In November 2023, we had the good fortune of having lunch at and touring the premises of the Shisui Hotel in Nara. The Shisui is one of Bonvoy Marriott’s Luxury Collection hotels. There are thirty-one of them. If there … Continue reading The Shisui Hotel
We do quite a bit of tasting here at drinkingjapan.org, and we, understandably, do not like everything we imbibe. However, longtime readers of this blog will know that we have never maligned a product. Occasionally, we have made comments about what a beverage lacks or has an excessive of, but such critiques are not disparaging. … Continue reading Brand X + Denki Bran v. Brand X + Calvados
Prince Wenceslaus of Saxony Good Prince Wenceslaus looked roundAfter a big partyBottles seemed not nearly downedGuests were a tad tardyI’ll mix up this and mix up thatAnd serve it all up laterThis liquid duck with any luckWill earn the public’s favor.*William F. O'Connor And so goes the genesis of that sparkling something or other which … Continue reading Cold Duck
Qvevri; georgisches Weingefäß, mit Karren - Museum of European Cultures, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany - CC BY-NC-SA. “A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia,” wait a minute, I’m on the wrong continent here. The American state of Georgia does produce wine, but as I have never tasted any, I am not … Continue reading Mtsvane: A Georgian Varietal
Gratuitous Foliage Pic: This Is Like Haiku As researcher-practitioners we have been studying and consuming burdock tea for quite some time and have noticed a curious omission: none of the English-language sources that we have encountered talks about the taste of the tea. There may indeed be sensory evaluations out there, but we have not … Continue reading The Swiss Army Knife of Plants: Burdock, Part 3
Drinking Japan 