Blog Archive - Page 3 of 52

Drink

Ginjo-zukuri Recommended as an Important Intangible Cultural Property｜Toji Noguchi Naohiko Recommended as Its Holder

On October 16, 2026, Japan's Council for Cultural Affairs recommended that ginjo-zukuri be designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property, with toji Noguchi Naohiko certified as its holder. This article explains what is new, how the Agency describes ginjo-zukuri, and the career behind the recommendation.

Drink

Is Amazake a Winter Drink?｜From Seasonal Festivals to Year-Round Shelves, and to a Clear Bottle

In haiku, amazake is a word for summer. Today its sales peak in both winter and summer. This article separates sake kasu amazake from rice koji amazake, looks at how amazake is reaching shelves abroad, and introduces KOJI CLEAR, a clear amazake from Akita.

Drink

The Third Thursday of November｜Beaujolais Nouveau and the Date That Signals the Season

A shared release date, different seasonal timelines: Beaujolais Nouveau, hiyaoroshi and how the date is understood in Japan and Thailand. Bacchus Global does not carry Beaujolais Nouveau.

Drink

How Dry Is “Brut”?｜Understanding the Range of Sweetness Indicated by Champagne Labels

“Brut” marks an upper limit on sweetness: less than 12 grams of sugar per liter. Its range partly overlaps with Extra Brut and Brut Nature, and the producer chooses which category to use. Two cuvées from Bruno Paillard show how to read label terms as a range.

Food

Purpose Before Preservation｜Kitchen Circularity at Baan Tepa

From fermented ingredients to garden compost and tabletop objects, Baan Tepa describes different uses for kitchen materials. An exploration of the decisions that come before processing.

Drink

How Time Is Defined in Franciacorta｜Minimum Bottle Aging and the Three Conditions of Satèn

Franciacorta's production regulations set a minimum period on the lees for each type: 18, 24, 30 and 60 months. The regulations also define three conditions for Satèn: white grapes only, Brut only, and a bottle pressure of no more than 5 atmospheres.

CRAFT BEER

Before Serving Japanese Craft Beer in Bangkok｜Three Perspectives on Freshness, Style, and Explanation

Freshness depends on transport and storage, while style and ingredients describe different aspects of a beer. Three perspectives on handling Japanese craft beer in Bangkok, with HEIWA CRAFT Pale Ale as a concrete example.

Drink

What Sets SHOCHU REPUBLIC’s Four Bottles Apart: Understanding the Differences Through Ingredients and Producers

Two of the four SHOCHU REPUBLIC bottles are honkaku shochu and two are liqueurs, each made by a different distillery. Reading the ingredient in each name, the category and the producer shows how the four differ.

Drink

Sake Assemblage｜The Craft of Blending at Gikyo and Zaku

Gikyo blends aged sakes, while ZAKU eks Edition No.1 was developed with sushi in mind. Their production stories show how selecting component sakes and adjusting proportions shape an assemblage.

Drink

Captured Blossoms｜The Quiet Distinction of Combier Elderflower Liqueur

What elderflower is, and how a liqueur made from the blossom differs from fruit and herbal liqueurs. Combier gathers the flowers by hand in Anjou, and the liqueur received a Spirit Gold with 95 points at IWSC 2025.

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