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Makers & Origins

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Six Expressions from One Rice: The Distinct Personalities of Six BORN Sakes

Place these six BORN labels side by side, and differences in polishing ratios and maturation periods immediately stand out. Yet numbers alone do not reveal the character of each sake.

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720 Milliliters and Four Gō: The Edo-Period Standard on Modern Sake Bottles

On shelves across Bangkok, sake and wine often sit side by side. Wine commonly comes in 750 ml bottles, while sake typically comes in 720 ml or 1.8-liter bottles. The 30 ml difference between the wine and sake bottles seems slight, yet 720 ml remains a curiously specific number in the metric world.

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Two Fruits Differ Only in Juice. One Also Carries Wine.

Among the SHIROI liqueurs made by Sakurao Distillery (operated by SAKURAO Brewery and Distillery Co., Ltd., Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima), three bottles stand side by side: Lychee, La France and Chardonnay. Lined up, their ingredient labels share a great deal.

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SAKE HUNDRED: Three Distinct Expressions Named Category Champions at the Oriental Sake Awards 2026

Three SAKE HUNDRED labels have been named category champions at the Oriental Sake Awards 2026, a sake competition held in Hong Kong. Spanning three distinct categories across ginjo, namazake, and aged sake, the awards illuminate how a single brand explores the possibilities of sake through markedly different paths.

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A Neighbor Complained About the Noise. That’s Why the Bar Is Hidden｜and Why Stories Added Later Often Serve the Storyteller’s Interests.

In June 2024, Wine Enthusiast published a feature on hidden bars around the world, including Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires. According to the magazine, the bar was created by mixologist Renato Giovannoni and restaurateur Julián Díaz, and it conceals its entrance.

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Umeshu Is Not Defined by Plums Alone

Fuu uses hon-mirin, while Yii uses craft gin. Explore the base ingredients, sources of sweetness and network of producers behind CU9’s two umeshu.

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A Four-Day Craft: The Okinawan Spirit Behind Edinburgh’s Winning Cocktail

An Edinburgh cocktail competition leads back to Okinawan koji making. Explore the four-day process behind Yokka Koji and the role of production knowledge in bartending.

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When 50% Rice Polishing Is Not Junmai Daiginjo

A 50% rice polishing ratio does not automatically mean Junmai Daiginjo. Explore the eight sake designations, special production methods, nama and Sake Meter Value.

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Is Grain Whisky Really Just a “Lightweight Supporting Player”?

Grain whisky is not inherently light. Distillation at Nikka, Chita and Fuji Gotemba shows how equipment, cask maturation and blending shape different characters.

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L’Entêté and the Fight to Reclaim a Name: The Two Legal Changes That Transformed Absinthe in France

How separate changes to French production rules and naming law allowed historic absinthe recipes and the word absinthe to return.

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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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Rethinking Umeshu: Three Structural Insights for the Cocktail Glass

“Isn’t umeshu basically a fruit liqueur meant to be served on its own｜and therefore difficult to use in cocktails?” It’s a reasonable question for bars in Bangkok considering Japanese umeshu. It is sweet, and many expressions possess a lower alcohol content than whisky or gin.

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