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Makers & Origins

Polishing Is Not Only for Rice: The “Migaki-Imo” Behind SHIRAKANE-NO-TSUYU

English ภาษาไทย 日本語 KANPAI Makers’ Choices No.03 Shochu makers have an old saying: “First comes koji, second comes the starter mash, and third comes the rest of the process.” Shirakane Shuzo, based in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, also presents these words on its official website. Koji, fermentation, and distillation are usually where an explanation of shochu […]

HANEYA

Broadening the Brewing Season, Narrowing the Selection: HANEYA KIRABI, Four-Season Brewing, and Nakagumi

English ภาษาไทย 日本語 KANPAI Makers’ Choices No.02 Sake is made in winter. Many people may still carry that image. In Japan, brewing concentrated in the colder months, known as kanzukuri, has indeed been practiced for centuries. Fumigiku Sake Brewery in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, follows a different calendar. Its system of shiki jozo, or four-season […]

Makers & Origins

Rice Polished to 27%, Sake Held at −5°C for One Year: The Design of Shichiken Hakushin

What do 27% rice polishing and one year at −5°C reveal about Shichiken Hakushin? Read the decisions linking Hakushu rice, water, temperature and time.

Makers & Origins

Layering Yuzu and Sea Salt over Sake

Explore how Shio Yuzu layers yuzu and sea salt over sake, and how infusion shapes its aroma, structure and legal category as a Japanese liqueur.

Makers & Origins

Shochu at Its Base, Liqueur by Category

See how MATCHA CAT uses authentic barley shochu as its base while Japanese law classifies the finished blend as a liqueur.

Makers & Origins

Returned, Not Added

Explore how Umenoyado Aragoshi Umeshu returns plum flesh to the bottle, creating texture and fruit character from material once removed in production.

Makers & Origins

Map of Washu — The Five Steps at a Glance

English ภาษาไทย 日本語 A Map of Washu — The Five Steps at a GlanceSeries: “The Sake Staircase,” Episode 0 For many in Bangkok, encountering Japanese spirits often begins with a shared hesitation. Intricate characters on labels, overlapping categories, and subtle distinctions can blur together. Too often, a diverse heritage is reduced to a single impression: […]