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The Art of Waiting

The Quiet Resurgence of Kimoto and Yamahai in 2026 Before dawn in a sake brewery, a young kurabito grips a paddle and stands over a shallow tub known as a hangiri, grinding together steamed rice, koji, and water. The “moto-suri uta,” a work song repeated like a chorus, echoes low across the freezing wooden floor. […]

Drink

A Fragrance Born Without a Still

Kanegasaki Herb Distillery’s “Waka Itsuki” Paints an Iwate Spring While working in the kitchen of a restaurant in Vancouver, he was given a simple directive by the Canadian owner: “Make cocktails using only natural ingredients.” Taking that instruction to heart, a young Japanese man went out and gathered thyme, rosemary, mint, and roses from the […]

Drink

The Silent Protagonist

Tracing the Essence of Water from Nada to Bangkok Roughly eighty percent of a single serving of sake is not rice, but water. The total amount of water used in a brewery is said to be about fifty times the volume that ultimately ends up in the bottle. Washing the rice, soaking it, steaming it, […]

Bar

Rice as Vermouth

How a 148-Year-Old Kuma Shochu Distillery Crafted an Aperitif Through Subtraction When, at a bar in Bangkok, a vermouth bottle is pointed to with the words, “A martini｜with gin and this,” the idea that what’s inside might be not European grapes but rice from Kyushu simply did not exist for a very long time. In […]

Drink

Black Koji, White Koji, Yellow Koji

Three molds that paint entirely different landscapes within shochu Just as wine is spoken of in terms of grape varieties like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon, there are three names that should come first when approaching shochu: black koji, white koji, and yellow koji. In scientific terms, they are Aspergillus luchuensis, Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii, […]

AWARD : GIN

A Gin Named “To Continue”

From Niseko to the Pinnacle of the World’s Classic Gin Category In 2024, a Japanese gin achieved the highest honors simultaneously at the world’s three major spirits competitions. It was named World’s Best in the Classic Gin category at the World Gin Awards, received the Trophy｜an award given to only a single label｜at the International […]

Drink

The Evolution of Bangkok

14 Years of Maturation in the Sake Market Japan’s global sake exports reached ¥45.88 billion in 2025, setting a record high for the second consecutive year. Beyond the steady increases in both value and volume, a deeper shift is quietly unfolding: export destinations now span 81 regions, and the average unit price per liter has […]

Drink

Craft Sake Week 2026

The Tenth Anniversary and the Evolution of Sparkling Sake On April 17, 2026, Craft Sake Week 2026 opened at Roppongi Hills Arena in Tokyo. Over 13 days, 130 carefully selected breweries from across Japan present under daily themes, while 20 top restaurants offer exclusive menus. Since its debut in 2016, the event has welcomed more […]

Bar

Shochu Used to Be the “Odd Duck Out”

Reading a Self-Taught New York Mixologist’s Method Through a Shelf in Bangkok In New York, there is a self-taught mixologist who studies cocktails on his own while balancing work as a tour guide and life as a father. In a piece he contributed to an industry publication, he captured the reality surrounding shochu with striking […]

Drink

From a Single Pot, Just Five Small Bottles

NA Carefully Preserved Pour from the Shores of Lake Biwa Take a single large pot, and slowly reduce fresh ginger by hand. The ginger syrup that emerges from this labour fills no more than five small bottles. It is a process that quietly defies modern efficiency. And yet, Naminooto Shuzo in Otsu, Shiga, continues to […]

Drink

The Day Sake Stands Beside Wine

London, Bangkok, and the Work of Translation In Bermondsey, London, there’s a two-Michelin-star restaurant called Trivet, led by chef Jonny Lake and master sommelier Isa Bal. Bal is known as one of the few sommeliers who, early on, began treating sake on equal footing with wine. In February 2026, these two became the starting point […]

Bar

Thirty Bartenders, Divergent Paths, a Shared Destination

A recent survey offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of mixology. In January 2026, the American drinks media outlet VinePair published an article posing the same question to 30 working bartenders: “What flavor will define the cocktail scene in 2026?” The answers were strikingly diverse｜seaweed, cheese, pandan, bitter melon, condensed milk, fig leaf. But […]

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