Journal

Blog

Stories of makers, ingredients, places and the decisions behind Japan's most compelling drinks.

Blog

Tropical Wine and the Redefinition of “Origin”

The Khao Yai Narrative Tropical Wine and the Redefinition of “Origin”: The Khao Yai Narrative A subtle shift is unfolding across Bangkok’s fine-dining landscape. A select number of establishments have begun quietly introducing Thai wines to their lists. Even within the contemporary Thai restaurants recognized by global culinary guides, bottles from Khao Yai are finding […]

ROSÉ

A Sake Named by a Poet—Tamba’s “Kotsuzumi,” the First Step into Japanese Sake

For many in Bangkok, the first encounter with this brewery begins not with sake, but with a silhouette reminiscent of antiquity. Within a glass vessel modeled after Greco-Roman amphorae, large Nanko plums rest quietly at the bottom.

N by HIDETOSHI NAKATA

The Metrics of Maturity

Volume, Context, and the Evolving Southeast Asian Sake Market The Metrics of Maturity: Volume, Context, and the Evolving Southeast Asian Sake Market In 2024, the export value of sake reached a new record high. According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, sake was exported to more than 80 countries for the first time, […]

Drink

Map of Washu — The Five Steps at a Glance

For many in Bangkok, encountering Japanese spirits often begins with a shared hesitation. Intricate characters on labels, overlapping categories, and subtle distinctions can blur together. Too often, a diverse heritage is reduced to a single impression: an expensive, yet elusive, Japanese drink.

RUM

Same Sugarcane, Different Stories

Okinawa’s Kokuto Rum and Laos’s Agricole Same Sugarcane, Different Stories: Okinawa’s Kokuto Rum and Laos’s Agricole From a single botanical source—sugarcane—strikingly diverse spirits emerge: kokuto shochu, traditional rum, and agricole. While all share a common ancestry, their production lineages diverge completely. Kokuto shochu pairs rice koji with brown sugar; traditional rum relies on molasses; and […]

Drink

Fifty Years After Paris

The Conviction to Begin Anew Fifty Years After Paris: The Conviction to Begin Anew On May 24, 1976, a blind wine tasting took place in Paris. Organized by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher, the event delivered a stunning result: little-known California wines outscored some of France’s most celebrated labels. In the white […]

Drink

The Truth Behind “It Can Only Be Made in Amami”

The System Protecting Brown Sugar Shochu Is Not GI The Truth Behind “It Can Only Be Made in Amami” — The System Protecting Brown Sugar Shochu Is Not GI Brown sugar shochu can only be made in the Amami Islands. This fact is often explained in shops as being “protected by a geographical indication, like […]

Drink

The 1924 Lectures and the Bangkok Wine List

Why Biodynamics Endures a Century Later The 1924 Lectures and the Bangkok Wine List: Why Biodynamics Endures a Century Later In February 2026, the wine trade journal The Drinks Business reported that “cracks are appearing in the regenerative agriculture movement.” Within a united front that has long advocated sustainable farming, nuances in interpretation have begun […]

CRAFT BEER

From the Same Water, Three Faces

The Classic, the Centerpiece, and the Curveball of Heiwa Shuzō’s “HEIWA CRAFT From the Same Water, Three Faces — The Classic, the Centerpiece, and the Curveball of Heiwa Shuzō’s “HEIWA CRAFT” “Craft beer is supposed to be bitter.” A conventional view that often confines a selection to a single, predictable offering on the shelf. Yet […]

Drink

No Explanation Needed

What Sustains a Sanctuary for Non-Drinkers Is Within the Glass “No Explanation Needed” — What Sustains a Sanctuary for Non-Drinkers Is Within the Glass Tucked away in Bangkok’s Saphan Sung district, STØCKHØLME operates on an unusual premise: its shelves hold not a single drop of alcohol. Recognized as a pioneer of its kind in Thailand […]

Age Verification