Partnered post
All photos courtesy of Daniel Tan
So here’s the thing: I find it hard to describe exactly what I do for a living… I just know all of them have something to do with alcohol: Professor, consultant, buyer, writer, and host. Rarely do they intersect.
The last one I hosted (and am writing about), The Art of Japanese Liquor, was one of those events when they did. No complaints here though… It was a fun gathering of like-minded (those who enjoy sake and shōchū, of course) individuals and is part of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)’s “Bringing You a Taste of Japan” campaign that seeks to promote Japanese culture, traditions, and products in the Philippine Market. The event was held in Sakagura (the same awesome people behind Nikkei), who coincidentally also won the Japanese Food Supporters (JFS) Certification.
The two-day event was attended by some of my favorite people: Fellow food/drink journalists, Makoto Sudo of JETRO (who I swear speaks better Tagalog than I do and is now picking up Bisaya), and my favorite Japanese drinking buddy Takoto Ishimoto of Mistukoshi Fresh – who was kind enough to allow me to ask him burning sake and shōchū questions on stage.
Speaking of sake and shōchū, let me talk about the featured drinks for both evenings:
Day 1, sake provided by Philippine Wine Merchants and Hightower Incorporated:
Amabuki Tokubetsu Junmai Yamadanishiki Namasake
This delicate sake hails from Saga in Kyushu Island. It’s named after Mount Amabuki, which is located northeast of the 300-year-old brewery. I love that the name itself is a great review of things that I learned from my sake certification: Junmai means that no alcohol was added, lending a more subtle flavor profile of cereal… lesser acidity and umami, too. Yamadanishiki is a high quality rice that adds a hint of savory flavors to the sake, and Namasake means it was unpasteurized… meaning, it can be a bit tricky to keep but so worth it. It’s quite untraditional in that it uses begonia flower yeast, which can be easily detected in the drink.
Masamune “Malola” Junmai Ginjo
Speaking of out-of-the-box styles, this sake is the first to use the process of malolactic fermentation, something that in my career I’ve only ever seen done with wine – mostly on Chardonnay. The goal of the process is to reduce the acidity level of the wine from green apple levels to that of milk… and the caveat is a little buttery aroma/flavor in the wine. I geeked out with this sake because it did share the “creamy” flavors of wine that has undergone the process.
Mutsu Hassen Ginjo “Pink Label”
Again, the label of this Aomori sake (a name that I butchered during the evening, ack) appealed to the geek in me. It didn’t say Junmai, which meant alcohol was added… and in sake production, this means that the goal is to extract more flavors. Having Ginjo on the label means that it has a higher polish rate than its counterpart Honjōzō… One could expect it to be fruitier and have more floral aromas. It’s a pretty intense, rounded sake with flavors of peach, licorice, and pudding.
Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai
The last sake ended up being the most traditional of the bunch – and is reminiscent of what I’d typically have in Japan. It comes from Uonuma, where the region’s spring water gives clean flavors to the sake. The rice used for the sake is called a Gohyakumanjoku (which I learned is not easy to say after a few of the stuff), and typically produces a food friendly sake. It went beautifully with the bone marrow we had.
Day 2, shochu provided by Mitsukoshi Fresh:
I absolutely adored the Japanized (wow, that is a word) versions of classic cocktails made via a collaboration between the amazing Sakagura team and Mitsukoshi Fresh.
Nihon Saidoka
I admit I had to ask a Japanese speaking friend to help me decode Saidoka… To which she said, “It doesn’t make sense to me in terms of drinks… because it looks like it means sidecar?” Eureka, it was a take on a classic sidecar, which is typically made with cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Nihon Saidoka made use of Daiyame Sweet Potato Shochu instead of a cognac. Daiyame is a satsugu (a dialect in Japan) term that means, “an evening drink that relaxes you after a long day.” It pertains to the tradition of taking time to be with family and be thankful for the day, and simultaneously refreshing for the day after.
Kagoshima Gimlet
Kagoshima is a seaside region located in the southernmost part of the Kyushu island, famous for thick noodle ramen and… the location of 1994’s Godzilla versus Space Godzilla. In the shochu world, however, it is most famous for being the home of shochu (as per the World Trade Organization), having over 113 distilleries in the area. This crisp take on a gimlet substitutes Kakushigura Barrel Barley Shochu for gin and ended up being my favorite of the evening.
Sakagura Martini
The drink is made with Kakushigura Barrel Barley Shochu as well, along with Tanqueray Gin, the Masamune “Malola” Junmai Ginjo Sake we had the night before, and a touch of Takara Mio Sparkling Sake for a touch of effervescence. A little geeky shochu trivia: The shochu was made in the Hamada Distillery, which has been around since 1868. It makes use of white kōji… a typical practice for most shochu production and lends a refreshing gentle taste to the beverage.
Yuzu Margarita
A margarita is typically made with tequila, triple sec, and lime juice… but the Japanized version adds a touch of Daiyame Sweet Potato Schochu. On its own, the shochu has rich lychee flavors and is generally designed for cocktails. It certainly added a rounder, approachable element to the cocktail.
Extra special thanks to Ron and Chris of Handpicked by Ron & Chris for the title inspiration 😉
