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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 […]

Drink

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

Drink

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 […]

Drink

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. […]

DAIYAME, SEKITOBA

From Sweet Potato

The Aroma of Lychee In the world of imo shochu, there is an unspoken rule. Sweet potatoes are all about freshness. Once harvested, they should be steamed and processed as quickly as possible. Leave them too long, and they begin to deteriorate. Damaged potatoes create off-odors. So everything moves fast. In imo shochu production, that […]

Drink

The Quiet Revelation of the Third Grape

Vincent Charlot’s official account describes Ecocert and Demeter certification, parcel-by-parcel vinification and natural yeasts. General practice is distinguished from individual cuvée specifications.

Drink

Juyondai: A Consistent Aim, Evolving Methods

A dancyu visit to Takagi Shuzo in March 2026 documented changes to rice steaming and cooling. Its interview with the brewer describes an approach that preserves the aim of expressing rice-derived umami while revisiting processes and equipment.

Drink

The Day Sake Reached Bangkok’s Table

Double-Digit Growth in Three Southeast Asian Markets Numbers tell us one thing for certain: a door has opened. Ever since humanity first learned to ferment grain several thousand years before the Common Era, alcohol has reflected both culture and place. Sake is a drink that was quietly refined within the confines of an island nation, deepening inward for centuries. Now, it is beginning to move across the sea. In 2025, sake exports reached approximately 45.9 billion yen, with shipments going to a record 81 countries and regions. Both export value and volume hit all-time highs, according to the National Tax Agency and the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. Looking at the country-by-country data, Southeast Asia stands out. Thailand was up 17.7 percent year over year, Vietnam 14.5 percent, and Malaysia 12.4 percent. All three posted double-digit growth at the same time. Observing the sake landscape in Bangkok for over a decade, it is rare to see the sentiment on the ground mirror statistics so perfectly. Double-digit growth may not sound dramatic, but the fact that all three countries are expanding at once carries real weight. Precisely because this growth is coming off a still-small base, it feels like we are standing at the threshold of a more important question: how this market will mature from here.

Clos des Litanies Pomerol

The Day a Litany Became the Name of a Place

In a Corner of Pomerol, 1514 On April 19, 1514, in Pomerol in southwestern France, Jean de Vallon, prior of the Knights of Malta, appointed a young monk to serve the parish priest of Saint-Jean de Pomeyrol. His name was Mathieu Boschuet. Records describe him as “a man recommended for his religious fervor and for the sincerity of his life and morals.” Brother Boschuet withdrew from the bustle of the parish and settled in a small enclosed plot surrounded by vineyards. There, it is said, he would open his breviary each day and quietly, repeatedly recite a litany to Saint Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers.

Drink

Reviving the Ancestor of a Legendary Sake Rice

The Rice That Came Before Kame-no-O For those who appreciate the nuances of sake, the name Kame-no-O often resonates. Cultivated in 1893 in Yamagata Prefecture’s Shonai region, it is a celebrated sake rice known for its near-extinction and triumphant revival. Yet, fewer may know of the heirloom variety that served as its predecessor: Sobewase.

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