A number of years ago we paid a visit to Amami-Oshima, the largest island in the Amami archipelago, which is located between Kyushu and Okinawa. The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and noteworthy for its flora and fauna. Included among the latter are some pretty rare creatures, such as the Amami Rabbit——this … Continue reading Kiwami 2014: Kokuto Shochu
Sorry. This crept in from last week's Halloween Special. Please disregard this early manifestation of AI. Earlier this year we wrote about FARM8’s wonderful Jogurt. This week we will write about two other products with connections to the firm. A few months ago we had an opportunity to sample both. One is a nihon-shu made … Continue reading Nihon-shu and Gelati
Well, those in the know realize that that inquisitive interlocutor of “Billy Boy” fame got it all wrong. Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?Can she bake a cherry pie, charming Billy?"Billy Boy" It’s not cherry but pumpkin that will cause the itch that does the trick, if you are a guy … Continue reading Kizakura’s Pumpkin Beer
Anyone who spends even a short amount of time in Japan or who frequents Japanese restaurants abroad is likely to be familiar with the country’s plum wine. It is sweet, viscous, easy to drink, and great on the rocks. The aged varieties offer more complexity than the standard fare, of course. We associate plum wine … Continue reading Hoshiko Original Ume [Plum] Liqueur, Part 2
We’ve never been too fond of product placement Hollywood-style, you know, what takes place in those scenes where some B-actor conspicuously uses a piece of technology whose brand is prominently displayed or consumes a food substance of dubious nutritional value and even more questionable safety, once again with the brand clearly identifiable. It’s unnatural and … Continue reading Hoshiko Original Ume [Plum] Liqueur, Part 1
On June 26, 2024, we had the great pleasure of attending a shochu media event at the Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center (JSS). Aside from hearing about the increasing recognition and appreciation of the beverage overseas, we had the opportunity to taste a couple of exceedingly creative shochu-based cocktails prepared by bartender Yukino Sato. … Continue reading The JSS Shochu Media Gathering
This is the fourteenth installment in our Days of Wine and Music series. We, once again, return to that Sammarinese winery upon which we have been focusing and report on a very special offering, indeed. Fortuity We just happened to be doing some recreational reading on the very day we tasted this wonderful wine. We … Continue reading Note Divino Riserva 2019
Drinking Japan 