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The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks!

October 9, 2019 by Stephen Leave a Comment

The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks!Stephen Lyman has written the Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, which was published in October by Tuttle. Find out more abou the book, where to buy it, and most importantly, where to meet Stephen to get your own signed copy as he travels Japan and North America.

Filed Under: Events, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Awamori, beer, book, book signing, book tour, cocktails, craft beer, craft spirits, japanese alcohol, japanese drinks, plume wine, sake, shochu, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, umeshu, whiskey, whisky, wine

A Gem in Greenwich Village

January 25, 2018 by Stephen Leave a Comment

A Gem in Greenwich VillageFukurou is the first US outpost of a Japanese izakaya chain, but you'd never guess this was a corporate location from the experience. It's a tiny space with a few counter seats and tables that are almost always reserved by Japanese patrons or foodies.

Filed Under: Izakaya Reviews, Izakayas Tagged With: beer, chicken wings, fried brie, fukurou, izakaya, New York, New York City, sake, tebasaki, wine

Izakaya in Paris

June 21, 2015 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Izakaya in ParisWalking to the izakaya past Notre Dame and other sites, things seemed sketchy. I walked along narrow old cobblestone streets full of flashy restaurants with hawkers outside trying to draw in thirsty & hungry tourists. I stayed my course, and nearly grimaced as I turned the corner onto Rue de la Parcheminerie, expecting more of the same. I exhaled deeply as I saw an empty alley with a single shop, which at first glance (thanks to the wine bottles in the window), I walked past thinking it was a cave-a-manger (French wine bar). Turning back, I found myself in front of the izakaya. With a single sign in hiragana, it was easy to miss.

Filed Under: Izakaya Reviews, Izakayas Tagged With: beer, izakaya, lengue, paris, sake, shochu, umeshu, wine

Tori Shin

June 14, 2012 by Stephen 1 Comment

Tori ShinThere are few places in New York City where you legitimately feel like you could be sitting in Tokyo. Most places are either too big or too small or the proportions of the space are just off in some subtle way. Perhaps there's a Latino bus boy or English signage. There's almost always something that gives away that we're in the U.S. At Tori Shin you have to look very, very closely and the evidence only appeared in early 2012.

Filed Under: Izakaya Reviews, Izakayas Tagged With: beer, chicken sashimi, ichiyaboshi, izakaya, New York, review, sake, shochu, Tori Shin, yakitori

How to Izakaya

May 17, 2012 by Stephen 5 Comments

How to IzakayaEssentially an izakaya is a Japanese tavern. But it's also Japanese tapas. And it's a Japanese gastropub. So perhaps the way to think of an izakaya is as a Japanese gastro-tapas-pub. Don't plan on having a 45 minute meal before a movie. Don't plan on going and having a starter, a main, and a dessert. Go planning on having a long, lingering meal over good drinks and better conversation with a group of great friends. Make an evening of it. Once you're in that mindset the rest is easy.

Filed Under: Izakayas Tagged With: beer, bottle keep, buta kakuni, buta no kakuni, edamame, Ei Hire, Ei No Hire, fried rice, izakaya, ohitashi, okonomiaki, oshinko, ramen, sake, shiso, shochu, sushi, tako wasa, takoyaki, yakisoba, yakitori

Yakitori Sun-Chan

April 2, 2012 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Yakitori Sun-ChanThere's something about some izakayas that make you fee like you're sitting in someone's home. Perhaps no place in New York has a stronger sensation of that than Sun-Chan. When you sit at the yakitori bar you're in the kitchen being entertained by the co-owner "obasan" (grandmother) as she grills chicken, fish, onigiri (rice balls), and just anything else she pleases on her single small grill. She prepares the food by feel - touching the various meets with her bare fingers to test their texture and warmth.

Filed Under: Izakaya Reviews, Izakayas Tagged With: beer, hokke, izakaya, nagoya wings, ramen, sake, shochu, SunChan, yakitori

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Retweet on TwitterKANPAI.US Retweeted
RareBooks37996C. Caldwell 🌞🌜⛈@RareBooks37996·
28 Feb

-Industries of Japan-(1889) trans. from J.J. Rein's 1881-86 report in German.

"One kind of Shochu, made in Kiushiu, and particularly in Satsuma, bears the name of Awamori."

#shochu #awamori #Okinawa #Ryukyu #Satsuma #distillation #fermentation #koji #JapaneseSpirits #kanpai

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Shochu Reviews

iichiko Kurobin

My personal favorite iichiko brand available in the US is iichiko Kurobin. Kurobin is literally translated as "black bottle," which is a pretty on the nose description of this evocative packaging. It is simply too pretty to throw away after finishing.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu KOME

Putting your nose in a glass of The SG Shochu Kome shows you just how complex a vacuum distilled rice shochu can be. Ginjo sake aromas from the yeast, pineapple, melon, and a faint hint of dairy-like lactic acidity are all present.

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu MUGI

The SG Shochu MUGI Label
The SG Shochu MUGI wraps several barley shochu identities into one. It's lightly barrel-aged and carries the associated sweet notes. But there's also a graininess that is revealed when the temperature of the drink drops. It's a versatile barley shochu that can be enjoyed a variety of ways.

Tasting Notes: Nankai

Nankai Shochu
At first whiff, Nankai smells faintly grassy, which is common in kokuto shochu owing to how kokuto sugar is made from fresh cut cane and that fresh grassiness is a sign of well made kokuto sugar. Sugar cane is, after all, a tall perennial grass. It is still pretty wild that they can capture that after fermentation and distillation.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: Lento Shochu

Lento is the top selling kokuto shochu in Japan, and it is available internationally as well. Try it on the rocks or with sparkling water for a refreshing taste of the Amami Islands. Kanpai!

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu IMO

The SG Shochu IMO is a clear invitation to create the classic imo cocktail. If you get it right, it will resonate and cascade around the world until you can't not have sweet potato shochu on your menu if you consider yourself a proper drinking establishment.

Mizu Lemongrass Shochu

Mizu Lemongrass Shochu may not be an authentic honkaku shochu due to the use of lemongrass, but this is a case where a beautiful spirit breaks the rules.

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