Drink
“Extra Dry” Reinterpreted: Understanding Yukinobijin Through Rice, Yeast, and Acidity
A factual examination of how Yamada Nishiki rice, No. 6 yeast, and acidity shape the meaning of “extra dry” in Yukinobijin Junmai Ginjo.
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Blog
Stories of makers, ingredients, places and the decisions behind Japan's most compelling drinks.
Drink
Deciding Years Ahead, Deciding Tonight: What Jim Beam’s Distilling Pause Reveals
For the entirety of 2026, Jim Beam’s main distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, has paused the distillation of new whiskey. Announced in December 2025, the decision was not driven by mechanical failure or financial distress.
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Drink
Navigating the IWC 2026 Results: Competition Facts, Organizer Insights, and In-House Records
How to explain IWC 2026 sake results by separating verified competition facts, organizer analysis and in-house records.
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Blog
Crafted in Unison: The Collective Spirit Behind AKABU
At a brewery where almost no one possessed prior experience in sake making, who would support the master brewer?
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Drink
Understanding NAS Whisky: Four Essential Perspectives on No Age Statement Expressions
Some whisky labels state an age such as “12 Years” or “18 Years,” while others do not. These products are commonly referred to as NAS, or No Age Statement, whiskies.
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Blog
Matching Vision to Craft: SAKE HUNDRED’s BYAKKO BESPOKE and NIKO
In traditional sake making, a label is inseparable from its brewery—a reflection of local water, regional rice, microclimate, and generations of mastery.
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Blog
Why Is a Vessel Shaped the Way It Is? A Small Mystery About Form and Aroma
Set three vessels side by side on a table. A wine glass with a long stem. A small white porcelain cup with two blue concentric circles at its base. And a plain white plastic cup. The third one may come as a surprise: it is the vessel actually used at Japan’s official judging of sake.
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Blog
Precision Over Uniformity: The Botanical Craft of Kanegasaki Yakusō Shuzō
If herbal liqueurs are understood simply as drinks made by steeping botanicals en masse in alcohol, the production approach used by Kanegasaki Yakusō Shuzō in Iwate Prefecture may be overlooked.
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Bruno Paillard
Same Blend, Different Time: Understanding Bruno Paillard’s Cuvée 72
Champagne is typically understood through the prism of grape varieties, terroir, or harvest years. Yet a compelling question arises when those environmental variables are held completely constant: what happens when time alone is varied?
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Drink
Before Stories Inflate: The Quiet Necessity of Verification
“People choose based on the story, not the quantity.” In Bangkok’s food and beverage landscape, this philosophy has quietly reshaped menus and conversations alike. Where was it made? What guides the artisan? What is the source of the water?
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