The third definition of the word pastiche as given by Wiktionary is “an incongruous mixture; a hodgepodge.” Hodgepodge has negative connotations for most speakers of English, as it conjurers up images of motion-picture monstrosities such as Sharktopus (2010) and culinary crimes al la kitchen-sink succotash. But wait…the word can also refer to the sublime syllabub … Continue reading Yamaso Hop from Minamishinshu Beer (Komagatake Brewery): A Pleasant Pastiche
Animal Kingdom Safari Park Special Reserve (Red)
Enthusiastic Wolf We at drinkingjapan.org are always open to new experiences. Recently, we decided to spend some time with the animals—no, not the Black Friday sales crowd! Sensing the need for a little rustication, we got up off our old rusty-dusties and traveled to Gunma Prefecture to visit Gunma Safari Park safari.co.jp. In addition to … Continue reading Animal Kingdom Safari Park Special Reserve (Red)
Valentine’s Day Special: Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow and Let the Chocolate Flow
Creator: George Cruikshank (creator); Date: n.d.; Material: etching “…Aphrodite (Venus)…was…playing with her little boy Eros (Cupid). He is one of the children in mythology who never grows up [sounds like at least one of us here at drinkingjapan.org] and never grows any wiser [here she must be talking about your average politician]. He carries about … Continue reading Valentine’s Day Special: Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow and Let the Chocolate Flow
Fukagawa Winery’s TOKYO 2021 Orange Sparkling: The Color or the Fruit?
Fukagawa Winery’s TOKYO 2021 Orange Sparkling Ah, orange, that’s an interesting word. It can refer to that narcissistic color that demands attention in nearly any setting in which it is encountered or to the fruit produced in such sunny climes as Florida or Valencia. The English language did not start to employ it in its … Continue reading Fukagawa Winery’s TOKYO 2021 Orange Sparkling: The Color or the Fruit?
Juxtaposition
The Tweedles Don’t worry, readers, we are not going to bore you with a Coke vs. Pepsi kind of thing, but we are going to engage in some juxtaposition. This week we are going to compare the output of two relatively small Nikko kura—Katayama Shuzo and Watanabe Sahei Shoten. We will begin with the sake … Continue reading Juxtaposition
Funky Chateau: Funky Rouge
This entry was originally supposed to be posted sometime in March. We have decided to front-load it for reasons that will soon become obvious. Prescient is a word that we are rather fond of here at drinkingjapan.org. We pride ourselves on our prescience. In 1988, one of us published an essay on Ed Wood, arguably … Continue reading Funky Chateau: Funky Rouge
Takao Beer Co.’s Fruited Session IPA
Located within Tokyo-to, there is a mountain named Takao. It is a popular destination for hikers and nature lovers. The significant climb to the summit offers its rewards in the form of a spectacular view, a very popular restaurant, and a small shrine. Shrine at Summit of Mt. Takao The ascent has its own rewards, … Continue reading Takao Beer Co.’s Fruited Session IPA
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