name which means wine parties, the
Umeshu & Sake Besshunkan Museum is
a wonderful place to explore how alcohols
were made in the Edo period. Along the
corridor are huge jars containing sake
and ume.
There are different methods of making
umeshu, but the most popular way is to
soak the ume in sake. Umeshu sake has
a distinct flavor. Some people also use
Ginjo sake to make umeshu. Besides
sochu, brandy, whisky, and rum can be
used to make Umeshu such as Baiko
Hyakunen - the standard umeshu of
Meiri Shurui Brewery. This was also
ranked Japan’s best umeshu in 2008.
To make Hyakunen Umeshu, they soak
ume in a mixture of honey and 5-year-old
brandy. It features a bold sweet flavor
and long aftertaste.
Umeshu is as fresh and sweet as
summer, and as pure as the color of
amber and is also good for your health.
A glass of umeshu served with a black
forest chocolate cake or other delicious
dessert is a great choice for the hot days.
It’s easy to understand why visitors to
Mito, the main city of Ibaraki, always buy
a bottle of umeshu.
Creative craft beer
Another interesting thing that Japan
offers visitors is the beer workshop of
Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki where the
famed Hitachino Nest beer is produced.
Originally specializing in Sake, Kiuchi
Brewery gradually began developing
craft beer since they can produce beer
all year round, unlike sake which is
specific to winter. Apart from craft beer,
sake, sochu, and umeshu are also the
products of Kiuchi Brewery. The most
exciting thing is that Kiuchi Brewery
allows you to observ e the beer making
process and create your own craft flavors
with different sorts of malts such as
caramel, wheat, pale, and Munich. In
Japan, it’s illegal to brew your own wine
and beer; therefore, many people bring
their own stuff to Kiuchi Brewery to
create their favorite flavors. Some people
even bring coffee syrup from Italy to
create their own signature beer.
You should buy the white and amber
ales (traditionally made from humulus
lupulus) - the two most popular of
Kiuchi’s products. The red rice ale
(made from Japanese red rice) or real
ginger ale are also pretty good. If you’re
looking for an “Ibaraki product”, then
try Kiuchi Umeshu, a special liqueur
distilled from Hitachino Nest Beer
White Ale infused with local green ume.
The slightly sweet Kiuchi Umeshu, with
the fine flavor of ume and the fresh
fragrance of almond, is a favorite for
many women.
Sake, Umeshu
and Craft Beer
Breweries in
Ibaraki:
Umeshu
ü Meiri Shurui
Brewery
ü 3 27
Motoyoshidacho,
Mito-shi, Ibaraki
ü W
ebsite: www.
bessyun-kan.jp
ü ( Close every
Monday)
Sake
ü Sudohonke Sake
Brewery
ü 2 215 Obara,
Kasama, Ibaraki
309-1701
ü W
ebsite: www.
sudohonke.co.jp
Craft beer
ü Kiuchi Brewery
ü 3 11-0133 Ibaragiken, Naka-shi,
Kounosu 1257
ü W
ebsite: www.
kodawari.cc
TRAVELLIVE
135