As even most casual visitors to Japan will have noticed, highballs are hot here, figuratively speaking that is. Some may be curious as to how this highball craze might be maintained. Well, Suntory seems to have come up with a variation on a theme that could not only sustain the lifespan of its popularity but … Continue reading Suntory’s Beer Ball (サントリー•ビアボール): A Variation on a Theme
Here is a sake that strikes three harmonious notes: sweetness, acidity, and alcohol, ending with a medium (+) finish. Ipponjime is a junmaishu produced by Niigata-based Takachiyo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. The body is medium (+), which gives it a certain degree of heft, and the abv is 16%. In addition to the pleasant song … Continue reading Takachiyo Sake Brewing Company’s 59 Takachiyo Ipponjime (59 Takachiyo 一本〆) : Harmonious Notes and Good English, Too
Well, perhaps the subtitle here is a bit of a stretch, but there is at least a tenuous connection between this interesting output of Amabuki Shuzo and the silver-wigged artist with the soup-can obsession on the one hand and the grape that makes all those November Beaujolais nouveau parties possible on the other. Regarding the … Continue reading Amabuki Koi Suru Banana (天吹 恋するバナナ): Warhol and Gamay at Work in Saga Prefecture
We recently read an interesting story entitled “Sugar and Spice and Everything Lice”1 by a guy named Jack Napes, which inspired us to try this spicy brew from Nagano Prefecture. “Sugar and Spice” is political and social satire that relates the experiences of a time-traveling group of characters who move from 21st-century Ireland to 18th-century … Continue reading Shichimi Tokarashi Beer (七味唐からしビール): A Potable Potpourri
After last week’s festivities, we have decided to keep this entry short. Drinking Green As we mentioned last week, Euglena is a green powder that contains a number of healthful ingredients. In addition to Euglena gracilis, the powder includes organic barley grass, a plant in the parsley family called ashitaba (Angelica keiskei), and chlorella, which … Continue reading The Drinking of the Green: Euglena Review, Part 2
We were going to festoon our site with green balloons this week in honor of St. Paddy’s Day but nixed that idea pretty quickly: drinkingjapan.org does not have an anti-balloon-popping-weapon defense system in place to prevent deflation. Perhaps we should consult with Jeff Koons to find out what his plans are for balloon defense post-bow-wow … Continue reading The Drinking of the Green: Euglena Review, Part 1
Tsuchida K from Tsuchida Shuzo (土田酒造) This is what one might call a “solitary sake.” As we have just coined this term, it is incumbent upon us to define it. So here you have it: a nihon-shu best consumed without food. It is a sake with a level of sweetness that can readily earn it … Continue reading Tsuchida K: Something from the Dessert Menu
Drinking Japan 