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Perspectives

Restaurant

A Three-Star Night

What the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026 Reveals About the Maturity of Bangkok’s Fine Dining Scene On November 27, 2025, the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026 was unveiled. A total of 468 establishments were listed. Sühring was elevated from two stars to three, becoming Thailand’s first three-star German restaurant and the first in Asia to earn three […]

Perspectives

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 […]

Perspectives

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 […]

LIQUEUR

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 […]

Perspectives

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 […]

Perspectives

An Orchard in a Glass

Nara Kasugayama’s Umeshu You Can Eat Umeshu is often perceived simply as a sweet, approachable liqueur. For many, it remains a casual staple, a reliable choice ordered without much deliberation. Yet, the first pour of Nara Kasugayama Shuzo’s Torotoro no Umeshu challenges this preconception entirely. As the glass is tilted, the amber-orange liquid glides slowly […]

Perspectives

Beyond the Dry Era

Three Movements Reshaping the Sake Landscape in 2026 “Dry, please.” Many appreciators of sake have likely placed an order with just those two words. Since the 1980s, karakuchi—dry sake—has remained the defining shorthand for modern sake. Crisp finish, clean profile, no muddiness. For roughly 40 years, that ideal has shaped brewing itself, serving as the benchmark […]

Drink

Beyond the Niche

The Next Decade of Organic Wine What comes to mind when considering organic wine? Perhaps the image of a small, meticulous estate producing limited quantities, or bottles quietly reserved for the devoted enthusiast. While this perception has long shaped the wine landscape, recent data reveals a profound evolution. From Boutique Vineyard to Global Presence A recent […]

Perspectives

A Vermouth Built on Mirin

Emerging from a Wooden Mill Without a Still What is Vermouth? At its core, vermouth is a fortified wine infused with herbs and spices. Formalized in 18th-century Turin, it has long served as the foundation for classic cocktails such as the Negroni and the Manhattan. Its base has always been wine—an assumption that has remained largely […]

GIN

When Five Citrus Fruits Converge

The Terroir Expressed by Sakurao Distillery’s Gin in Hiroshima Hiroshima Prefecture produces more lemons than anywhere else in Japan. Yet, this agricultural heritage remains a quietly kept secret. Along the warm hills facing the Seto Inland Sea grow lemons, navel oranges, natsumikan, yuzu, and daidai bitter oranges. Each tree bears only one kind of fruit. […]