Moo-ve over, eggnog: there’s a new milk-based alcoholic beverage in town! Kusatsu onsen is considered one of Japan’s top three hot springs. Even if you have never visited this place, you have likely seen images like this: Yubatake Or this: Netsunoyu When driving to Kusatsu from Tokyo, you can drive past the Asamashuzo Tourism Center … Continue reading Perfect for Breakfast? Yogurt Liqueur from Asama Farm (浅間のヨーグルト酒)
As winter fades into spring, one can enjoy the various expressions of the color pink, starting with plum blossoms, which are often darker, and later cherry blossoms, or sakura. As sakura blossoms are in bloom for a very short time, they are a symbol of mortality and rebirth--the ephemeral nature of existence given a positive … Continue reading Tickled Pink: Atagonomatsu Harukoi Junmai Ginjo (あたごのまつ はるこい 純米吟醸)
French sake might have been an oxymoron in the recent past, but for those familiar with the concept of terroir, the two words (i.e., “French” and “sake”) constitute a harmonious whole. Terroir is that wonderful term for the influence that local conditions have on a wine. Wiktionary defines it thus: “The complete set of local … Continue reading Wakaze, a Very French Sake
Davy Jones' Locker, John Tenniel This week we soar into the firmament and then plunge into the deep to snatch this drink from Davy Jones’s Locker, but first a little history. In the heady days that were 1969 one of us was in a rather famous bar in a large city on the night of … Continue reading Bijofu Uchushinkaishu Junmai Ginjo (美丈夫 宇宙深海酒 純米吟醸): It Went Up and It Went Down and Should Be Drunk All Around
19th-Century Kura, 21st-Century Innovation On a fine winter morning we caught a train to Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture. A meandering city bus took us from the train station to our destination, Nishibori Shuzo, and to our appointment with Tetsuya Nishibori, the Sixth Generation Kuramoto (brewery owner). Only a short hour and a half from Shinjuku … Continue reading Nishibori Shuzo:
Takasaki is a city in Gunma Prefecture. It is famous for being the birthplace of the Daruma doll. For those unfamiliar with this interesting, Humpty-Dumptyesque object that never falls and the custom surrounding its use, we have included a picture above and will provide a brief explanation. Distilled down to its very essence, the Daruma … Continue reading Oosakazuki Oke 53 Gou (大盃 桶５３号） Number 53: Fill In the Other Eye
We were reminded recently of that old song “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933). Yes, it is a bit of an irritant when it creeps into your peepers, but when it meanders up your nose, as it does with this beer, it is not unappealing. This drink has an almost peaty aroma, which is not … Continue reading Fujizakura Heights (富士桜高原麦酒 ラオホ) Rauch: Smoke Gets in Your Nose
Drinking Japan 