The Wine Is Wonderful: The Bottle Should Be Bigger! We have written about Yama Budo Wine before, so if you are unfamiliar with this little-known wine and the grape from which it is made, please use the search function to read our previous postings. Recently, we had the good fortune to taste Yama Budo Wine … Continue reading Yama Budo Wine from Ina Wine Factory (伊那ワイン工房)
A Limited Edition from the “Land of the Emishi (Shrimp, or Lobster, People)”: A Catch Worth Pursuing
In the opening address of the Fourth International Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management, 1993, Jiro Kittaka uttered these words: “The people who inhabited northeast Japan one thousand years ago were called ‘Emishi,’ which means lobster or shrimp. This was probably due to their red and rough faces resembling the appearance of spiny lobster, and … Continue reading A Limited Edition from the “Land of the Emishi (Shrimp, or Lobster, People)”: A Catch Worth Pursuing
Kitanonomori (北野の杜) Light Ale and 4’33”
In last week’s entry we promised to cover two more brews from OGA Brewery. However, we have decided not to review their “aged BY.” at this time, only their Kitanonomori Light Ale. Those readers who were eager to learn more about “aged BY.” in this entry might consider using the literary equivalent of 4’33”. That’s … Continue reading Kitanonomori (北野の杜) Light Ale and 4’33”
Polar Night, Kitanonomori (北野の杜), and aged BY.
The three items listed in the title are all brews from OGA Brewery, a microbrewery located in Mitaka, approximately fifteen minutes on foot from Mitaka Station. We will begin with Polar Night, as we have our very own polar tale to tell. Many years ago we found ourselves in the Canadian Arctic. It was the … Continue reading Polar Night, Kitanonomori (北野の杜), and aged BY.
Bee, Grateful We Are
Grateful We Are In this entry we will not, as we customarily do, review/critique a particular beverage, but instead pay homage to the insect that made some of the earliest alcoholic beverages possible—the bee, specifically those that give us honey. May 20 is World Bee Day, so this is an appropriate time to pay our … Continue reading Bee, Grateful We Are
Vertere: A Craft Brewery in Tokyo’s “Wild West”
There is a mountainous area of Tokyo, where the population density is low. It is located on its western fringe. Here the natural factor seems to dominate the human. The Tama River—sometimes referred to as the “Tamazon” further downstream—begins its journey in this place, and the shy serow occasionally makes an appearance. The place is … Continue reading Vertere: A Craft Brewery in Tokyo’s “Wild West”
Tokyo Hop Planting @ Sekimae, Musashino!
April 11, 2021 Hiramaki-san, brewer at 26K brewery in Musashisakai, Tokyo, invited us to a unique event - hop growing in Sekimae, Tokyo. We were out there with green thumbs, it is to be hoped, planting the rhizome (rootstock), not seeds, that are expected to bear the hops that will be used in the local … Continue reading Tokyo Hop Planting @ Sekimae, Musashino!
Drinking Japan 