These days the word “herd” is being used with ever-increasing frequency. In short, herd immunity is good, but as Nietzsche made clear many years ago, herd mentality is not. What does this have to do with the subject matter dealt with on this blog, you ask? Good question. A number of years ago there was … Continue reading “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot; When You’re Not, You’re Not”: Takeda Winery Sans Soufre Cidre 2017
Cave D’Occi’s FROM SCRATCH2020
Their Fall Is Our Gain Ah, autumn has arrived, a time when a person’s thoughts turn to…. What? What did you say? Olympic debt and ragweed pollen? No, those are not the answers we are looking for here. It should be obvious that the correct response is “falling objects.” The English word fall when used … Continue reading Cave D’Occi’s FROM SCRATCH2020
Nagara Natural Winery‘s (長良天然ワイン酒造) Muscat Bailey A: A Gift from Gifu
Japanese Cormorant Waiting to Be Disgorged In this entry we turn our attention to a wine made from a grape varietal that is closely associated with Japan and close to our hearts as well—Muscat Bailey A. The wine under review today was produced in Gifu Prefecture with grapes sourced from Yamanashi Prefecture. Though not known … Continue reading Nagara Natural Winery‘s (長良天然ワイン酒造) Muscat Bailey A: A Gift from Gifu
Shoemon Shochu
A little while ago one of us came across an “island” shochu in a souvenir shop in Shizuoka Prefecture. We are not in the custom of buying alcoholic beverages at such establishments for various reasons, but this one caught our eye owing to its romaji (Roman letters) name, “Shoemon,” which we first read quickly and … Continue reading Shoemon Shochu
Tokyo Hop Picking @ Sekimae, Musashino!
August 7, 2021 A hop, skip and jump away from Mitaka Station is Sekimae in Musashino, a suburb of Tokyo. This is where we had the privilege of participating in hop-picking. Back in April, we took part in the planting of the hops, which we covered here. Originally the hop-picking was scheduled for a few … Continue reading Tokyo Hop Picking @ Sekimae, Musashino!
Constant Experimentation
In Experimentation Mode at Drinkingjapan.org Recently we engaged in a little literary Dumpster diving, went through our vast library with the finest of lice combs, and pulled up this little gem, You’re Really Cooking When You’re Cooking with SEVEN-UP!, which is available as a free download from Project Gutenberg* . Though hardly unique in the … Continue reading Constant Experimentation
Maki no Hatsuyuki (牧の初雪）Doburoku: “Please, I Want Some More”
Maki no Hatsuyuki (牧の初雪) Gruel has some negative connotations in popular culture. In the English-speaking world, the adjective “thin” frequently precedes the noun “gruel.” The word conjures up images of hapless Cinderella-types being gastronomically abused by harpies of various sorts. Perhaps the man who did the most to solidify its odious image is Charles Dickens, … Continue reading Maki no Hatsuyuki (牧の初雪）Doburoku: “Please, I Want Some More”
Drinking Japan 