Japanese Restaurant News February 2024 by All Japan News Inc

（06ページ部分が中国語、韓国語に翻訳されてます。 alljapannews@gmail.comまでご意見ください）

February 2024 Vol. 33 No. 303

(06頁部分被翻譯成中文。如果可以的話,請給我們意見。請聯繫alljapannews@gmail.com） (06 페이지 부분이 한국어로 번역되어 있습니다. 괜찮으시다면 alljapannews@gmail.com으로 연락주시기 바랍니다.)

SAKE SOMMELIER CLUB

Logo Branding of Japanese Sake

日本酒のロゴブランド

07 California Sake Challenge 196:

Seasonal Sake – Part 3: Freshly squeezed draft sake

酒豪大陸 196：季節の日本酒③しぼりたて生

NEWS / TREND

08 Sake production process 日本酒造りの工程

09 Tokyo Jizake Strolling

The very hectic month of December

東京地酒散歩 / 目まぐるしい師走

16 Miyazaki Wagyu -Extending Japan’s Best Beef Flavor to the World Four Consecutive Championship Wins at the Wagyu Olympics宮崎牛－日本一の味を世界へ－

18 Challenges of a Japanese whisky distillery starting production at a new distillery while celebrating its 100th anniversary -Whisky brand released with unique flavors characteristic of the local climate of Yamagata prefecture-

日本産ウイスキー100年目の新たなウイスキー蒸留所の挑戦ー庄内の風土と時を世界に届けるウイスキーブランドの誕生ー

- The Growth Period of Japanese Sake-

米国酒焼酎蒸留酒研究所 / 日本酒の成長期

11 Restaurant employment topped prepandemic levels in November

SDGsを見据えた“食”の普及を推進ー七賢とアラン・デュカス氏が造るサステナブル・スピリッツー

Publisher All Japan News Inc Managing Editor David Kudo Editor-in-Chief Hiroshi Kawabata Designer Ritsuko Lynch Contributing Writers Kosuke Kuji, Yuji Matsumoto Ryuji Takahashi JETRO / JETAASC

We’re Member of Japan Business Association, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Restaurant Association of America and Supporters Conference for WASHOKU.

ジャパニーズ・レストランニュース

11月の外食産業雇用者数、パンデミック前の水準を上回る

-Sustainable spirit produced by Shichiken and Alain Ducasse-

16901 S. Western Ave., Suite 102 Gardena, CA 90247 Tel: (213) 680-0011 E-mail: jrn@alljapannews.com

Special Thanks to

10 Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

12 Popularizing “foods” that meet SDGs

All Japan News, Inc.

22 “Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo” held to introduce traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations -Many visitors attended the annual New Year’s celebrations held for the 25th year日本伝統の正月文化を紹介する「お正月イン・リトル東京」開催－25回を迎える新年の恒例行事に多くの参加者－

本誌はこの日本食レストラン業界にスポットをあて、何が流行っているのか、また繁盛店の紹介を通し、繁盛店のオペレーションや時代を生き抜くヒントを紹介します。最新の話題店舗や人気商品などを紹介し、日本食レストランの繁盛を応援します。また、アメリカの最新の食品衛生管理に関する情報なども提供し業界の発展に寄与します。

Mission of Japanese Restaurant News This magazine spotlights the Japanese restaurant industry to introduce the latest trends and successful restaurants along with their operations to provide hints on how to survive the competitive restaurant industry. Further, this magazine introduces the latest restaurants garnering attention and popular products, along with the prosperity of Japanese restaurants. Lastly, this magazine also introduces the latest information on food sanitation and management to contribute to the development of the Japanese restaurant industry as a whole.

Please visit https://www.alljapannews.com

Japanese Restaurant News • Vol. 33 • No. 303

Find Us

s @Los Angeleke Meetup a Japanese s Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Bon Yagi

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Katsuya Uechi

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

TIC GROUP

Chairman Katsuya Group

Rick Smith & Hiroko Furukawa

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Beau Timken

Kats Miyazato

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Owner “True Sake”

Owner of M&M Enterprise

Owner “SAKAYA NYC”

Logo Branding of Japanese Sake

Yuji Matsumoto

Master Sake Sommelier

Finalist of the 2nd World Sake Sommelier Competition. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science. Worked for Nomura Securities for 10 years. Former president of California Sushi Academy Former chief of planning dept. at Mutual Trading.

David Kudo

Sake Sommelier Master Sake Sommelier

Born Kita-Akita City, Akita Prefecture. Took over as Executive Officer of the Japanese Food Trend News founded in 1991, when the predecessor was assigned back to Japan. Currently distributed as Japan Restaurant News (20,000 issues published electronically) in North America, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

清酒logo的品牌化 logo象徵著的公司產品，是最重要的標誌。放眼世界上銷售良好的產品，每家公司都有一個形象策略來宣傳其 logo，以便消費者記住它。無論您看什麼產品，消費者首先看到的都是視覺效果，而文字和說明並不是那麼「入腦」。四個圓圈的是奧迪，H是本田，蘋果就是Apple等等。可見品牌logo很容易進入我們的腦海。這用在食物上非常好

he logo is an important symbol that represents the product of a company. When reviewing products popular worldwide, each company studies how to best advertise their logos to have their consumers remember their logo, an important strategy. Regardless of the product, consumers are concerned with visual appeal for text and descriptions usually escape the memory. Audi have four circles, Honda is

the letter “H,” and apple is for Apple computers, logos are easy to memorize. This is also true for food products. How does this apply to Japanese sake? Review of local ads for Japanese sake, it is difficult to see where the logo is, and often many of the brands don’t have one. It’s difficult to tell if the sake manufacturer’s name is the brand, or the product name is, or if another product name is the brand. Even if a consumer likes a

日本酒のロゴブランド

ロ最も大事なシンボルである。世界ゴは、その会社の商品を象徴する

で売れている商品を見てみると各会社は、自社のロゴをどのように宣伝し消費者に覚えてもらうかのイメージ戦略をとっている。どの商品を見てもまず消費者がみるのは、視覚的なものであり、文字や説明はあまり頭に入っていないものである。 4 つの丸があるのはアウディ、H なら

用，那酒呢？如果您看到帶有清酒的廣告也許會更了解：首先，則很難分辨出哪個是品牌logo，很多時更根本不存在這東西。我想知道究竟釀造公司的名稱是就品牌名，產品名稱是品牌名，還是特定名稱才是品牌名。這樣一來，即使消費者擁有自己喜歡的產品，也讓消費者很難購買自己的產品或記住品牌。即使瓶身的顏色和尺寸因產品而異，在最醒目的位置貼上品牌logo，對品牌的建立與經營是很重要的事。那何不考慮一些對消費者更具吸引力的品牌形象（logo）呢？

6 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

ホンダ、リンゴならアップルコンピュータ、というようにブランドロゴは非常に我々の頭に入って行き易い。食品にしてもしかりである。さて、日本酒はどうであろうか？もし、手元に日本酒の宣伝がある広告をみてもらうと分かると思うが、まずどれがブランドロゴなのか分かりにくいし、無いものも多い。酒造会社の名前がブランドなのか、商品名がブランドなのか、はたま

일본술의 로고 브랜딩 로고는 그 회사의 상품을 상징하는 가장 중요한 상징입니다. 전 세계에 판매 중인 상 품을 살펴보면, 각 기업은 자사의 로고를 어 떻게 알리고, 소비자에게 각인시킬 것인지에 대해 이미지 전략을 쓰고 있는 것을 알 수 있 습니다. 소비자 입장에서는 어느 제품이든 시각 적인 것이 먼저 눈에 들어오고, 문자나 설명은 별로 기억에 남지 않습니다. 4개의 원은 아우디, H는 혼다, 사과 이 미지는 애플컴퓨터 등과 같이 브랜드 로고 는 매우 기억되기 쉽습니다. 음식도 마찬가지 입니다. 그러면 일본술은 어떨까요? 만약 주변에

particular brand of sake, this makes it difficult for the consumers to make the connection between the brand of sake and the manufacturer, or other products offered by that manufacturer. Although the colors and size of bottles may change according to the brand, the brand logo should be made most noticeable for the labeling. Why not consider a logo that appeal to consumers?■

た特定名称がブランドなのか、と思うくらいである。これでは、消費者にとってせっかく気に入ってもらった商品があっても、その後の自社商品への購入やブランドを覚えてもらうことにつながりにくい。ボトルの色や大きさは商品によって変ってもブランドロゴは一番目に付く場所にラベリングすることが重要である。ブランドイメージ（ロゴ）についてもっと消費者に訴えるものを検討したらどうであろうか。

일본술을 알리는 광고가 있다면 쉽게 알 수 있 겠지만, 우선 무엇이 브랜드 로고인지 알기 어 렵고, 심지어 없는 것도 많습니다. 주조 회사 의 이름이 브랜드인지, 상품명이 브랜드인지, 혹은 특정 명칭이 브랜드인지 구분이 가지 않 을 정도입니다. 이런 상황이라면 어렵게 소비자의 마음 을 사로잡은 상품이 있더라도 차후에 자사 상 품의 구매나 브랜드 각인으로 이어지기 어렵 습니다. 병의 색이나 크기는 상품에 따라 변하 더라도 브랜드 로고는 가장 눈에 띄는 곳에 라 벨링하는 것이 중요합니다. 소비자의 마음을 움직이게 하는 브랜드 이미지(로고)에 대해 검 토하는 것은 어떨까요?

Brewery Owner

Sake Sommelier and Others Kosuke Kuji

Teruyuki Kobayashi

Nanbu Bijin Inc. Fifth Generation Brewery Owner

Sake Samurai

Masato Kato

Akira Yuhara

Wismettac Asian Foods

Miyako Hybrid Hotel

Takao Matsukawa

Philip Harper

Latin Region Specialist Mutual Trading Co Inc.

Tamagawa Hand Made Japanese Sake Master Sake Brewer

Sake Sommelier

Mei HO

Keita Akaboshi

Sake Sommelier

Kuramoto US Inc.

True Sake

Michael John Simkin

Rachel Macalisang

Sake Sommelier

Mai Segawa

Don Lee

Advanced Sake Sommelier

MJS Sake Selection Owner

Sake Sommelier Yama Sushi Owner Chef

Tako Grill

Isao Kiyota

Shigeto Terasaka

Eda Vuong

International Kikisake-Shi

Sake Sommelier

Sake Sommelier Sake School of America

Academia de Sake Mexico Founder

Yoshihiro Sako

Sake Sommelier

Sake Ambassador

Yuzuki

Kurtis Wells Mixologist

Owner Japon Bistro

Kaz Tokuhara

Certified Sake Professional Level LL Young’s Market Company

Koji Wong

Sake and Wine Sommelier

Liloa Papa

Certified Wine & Sake Sommelier

Eduardo Dingler

Sake Sommelier

Miyuki Yoshida

Alice Hama

Sake Sommelier Sake Samurai

Hirohisa Kikuchi

Sake Sommelier

Chizuko Niikawa-Helto

Head of the “Regional Sake Tasting Club”

Taruhei Brewing Co Ltd.

Timothy Sullivan

President Japan Hollywood Network

Joe Mizuno

Stuart Morris Sake Sommelier

Hana Japanese Restaurant

Koji Aoto

Sake Sommelier

Toshiyuki Koizumi

Manager Wismettac Asian Foods

Savannah Distributing Co. Inc.

Owner “WASAN”

Gary Imada

Sake Sommelier

Eiji Mori

Michael Russell

Katana Restaurant

Pacific International Liquor Inc

Sake Sommelier

Sake Advisor

Certified Sake Sommelier

Info All Japan News, Inc. Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

(213) 680-0011, AllJapanNews@gmail.com

Seasonal Sake Part 3: Freshly squeezed draft sake 季節の日本酒③しぼりたて生

by Kosuke Kuji

196

Kosuke Kuji

Fifth Generation Brewery Owner Nanbu Bijin, Inc.

Born May 11, 1972. Entered Tokyo University of Agriculture’s Department of Brewing and Fermentation. In 2005 became the youngest person ever to receive the Iwate Prefecture Young Distinguished Technician Award. In 2006 was selected to be a member of the board of trustees of his local alma mater, Fukuoka High School. Currently is featured in a number of media outlets including magazines, radio, and television. *Positions of Public Service: Chairperson, Cassiopeia Corporation Youth Conference; School Board Member, Fukuoka High School, Iwate Prefecture, Vice-Chairman, Technology Committee, Iwate Prefecture Brewers and Distillers’ Association

his series introduces the sake representative of each season. This report introduces the winter “draft sake.” Hot sake is delicious during the frigid winter season. Production starts with a new crop of sake rice harvested in the fall. New sake is first squeezed fresh from November into December. Many sake breweries release new freshly squeezed sake from sake rice

日

本酒の季節を代表するお酒を紹介していますが、今回は冬の「しぼりたて生」です。冬の寒い時期、日本では燗酒も最高の冬のアイテムなのですが、日本酒の製造は秋に収穫した新米で仕込みが始まり、その新酒の一番しぼりが出てくるのが 11 月から 12 月にかけてです。その、今年の新米で仕込んだしぼりたての生酒を冬の季節限定商品として出す

harvested that year as a winter limited edition draft sake. New sake is fresh in aroma and flavor, with some slightly carbonated from the gas in the mash. New sake is a winter limited edition sake commonly enjoyed in the frigid winter season from December to March. The fresh flavor of new sake is highly compatible with white fish sashimi or oden steeped in dashi broth.

Also, many sake breweries also release rich, freshly squeezed “unprocessed sake.” In Iwate prefecture where snow falls heavily, chilled unprocessed sake is enjoyed with a hot pot seated below the kotatsu (Japanese table with a heater underneath), one of the best ways to enjoy the frigid winter season.■

蔵が多くあります。新酒ならではのフレッシュな香りと味わい、若々しく、中には少しもろみのガスを受け継ぎ微発砲しているものもあります。12 月から 3 月くらいの寒い時期に楽しむことが出来る冬の季節限定酒です。とても若々しいので、白身のお刺身や出汁をたっぷりときかせたおでんなどと楽しむと最高に美味しいです。

また、しぼりたて生は「原酒」で出す蔵も多く、原酒ならではの力強さも楽しむことが出来ます。家の外は雪が降りしきり、家の中はとても暖かい岩手では、暖かい家の中でキーンと冷やしたしぼりたて生をこたつに入りながらアツアツの鍋をつつきつつ飲むのが最高の冬の楽しみです。

Japanese Restaurant News • Vol. 33 • No. 303

日本酒百味百題

www.jfc.com

ake production cleverly uses the microbial functions of koji mold, yeast, etc. in various tasks. The sake production method was mostly established by the early Edo period (1603-1868) with basically no major change to date. Sake production generally consists of the following five processes.

美味しい酒を150種類日本全国から輸入全米のネットワークを通じて皆様に直送中 Yoshihide Murakami Master Sake Sommelier Liquor Manager JFC International Inc.

BRANCHES & SALES OFFICES Head Office: LOS ANGELES (800) 633-1004, (323) 721-6100 LOS ANGELES Branch SAN DIEGO Sales Office LAS VEGAS Sales Office PHOENIX Sales Office DENVER Sales Office SAN FRANCISCO Branch SACRAMENTO Sales Office SEATTLE Branch PORTLAND Sales Office HOUSTON Branch DALLAS Sales Office BATON ROUGE Sales Office CHICAGO Branch TOLEDO Sales Office NEW YORK Branch BOSTON Sales Office BALTIMORE Branch ATLANTA Branch ORLAND Sales Office MIAMI Branch HAWAII Branch JFC GROUP OFFICE HAPI PRODUCTS, INC. JES INC. Interbranch Distribution Center (IDC)

Sake Meter Value: +5 Polishing Rate: 70% (USDA Organic Rice)

Hakutsuru Organic Junmai Hakutsuru Sake Brewing (Hyogo)

Sake production process

日本酒造りの工程

1. Raw material preparation process Three steps are required to prepare steam rice: “rice milling,” “washing and soaking,” and “steaming.” Steamed rice is used in each of the following three processes: Koji making, yeast starter and mash preparation. 2. Koji preparation process The process to inoculate steamed rice with seed malt to prepare koji requires both traditional manual labor and mechanical production. Koji breaks down starch in steamed rice, and yeast generates sugar required to ferment alcohol. 3. Yeast starter preparation process Culture sake yeast only in large volumes to ferment alcohol as purely as possible inside a mixture of steamed rice, koji, and water. The sake yeast starter is also referred to as “moto.” Purely cultured sake yeast is generally used, while sake yeast strains that inhabit the sake brewery are also used in some cases. Lactic acid used to prevent bacterial contamination is most important in preparing sake yeast, placed by naturally increasing lactic acid bacteria (Kimoto-type sake yeast starter) or adding lactic acid during the preparation (Sokujo-type sake yeast starter). 4. Mash preparation process “Mash” is prepared by mixing steamed rice, koji mold, and water into the sake yeast starter in which alcohol ferments. One characteristic of sake production is not to add the ingredients (steamed rice, koji mold, and water) into the mash, but to add the ingredients in several stages to propagate the sake yeast while gradually increasing the volume, referred to as “stage preparation.” Generally, the “three-stage preparation” is used to

Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamada Nishiki)

Tenbu Junmai Ginjo Nishi Shuzo (Kagoshima)

8 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

Sake Meter Value: +4 Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamadanishiki)

Mizubasho Ginjo Nagai Shuzo (Gunma)

divide the preparation into three stages, while the “two-stage preparation” and “four-stage preparation” are also used in some cases. After fermentation, the mash is squeezed after a certain time, then divided into sake and sake lees. At this stage, unprocessed sake is high in alcohol content, approximately twenty percent in some cases. Distilled alcohol is added to sake other than Junmai sake before squeezing. 5. Filtration, pasteurization, and aging Refined sake is still cloudy after squeezing. After the sediments settle, cloudy sake is filtered and pasteurized, then stored. Storing the sake harmonizes the aroma and generates a unique sake flavor. Sake is finely filtered using activated carbon before adding some water to adjust the alcohol concentration (generally fifteen to sixteen percent), then bottled prior to shipment.■

麹

カビや酵母など微生物の働きを巧みに利用する日本酒造りは、さまざまな作業から成り立っている。その製造法は江戸時代初期にはほぼ完成されたものになっており、現在も基本的には大きな変化はない。一般に、次の 5 つの工程で構成されている。 1、原料処理工程蒸米づくりの工程で、「精米」、「洗米・浸漬」、「蒸し」の 3 つの工程を経る。蒸米は、麹工程、酒母工程、もろみ工程でそれぞれ用いられる。 2、麹製造工程蒸米に種麹を接種して麹を造る工程で、昔ながらの手作業と機械製造とがあ

Sake Meter Value: +2 Polishing Rate: 60%

Fukuju Blue Junmai Ginjo Kobe Shushinkan (Hyogo)

る。麹は、蒸米のでんぶんを分解して、酵母がアルコール発酵するために必要な糖分を生成する。 3、酒母製造工程アルコール発酵を行なう清酒酵母だけを、蒸米と麹、水の混合物の中で、できるだけ純粋に近い状態で大量培養する。酒母は「酛」とも呼ばれる。一般には純粋培養された酵母が用いられるが、酒蔵に住み着いている酵母を使う場合もある。乳酸を存在させて雑菌の汚染をいかに防ぐかが酒母造りの最大のポイントで、乳酸菌を自然増殖させる伝統的な方法（生酛系酒母）と、仕込み時に乳酸を添加する方法（速醸系酒母）とがある。一般には安全で操作も簡単な速醸系酒母が用いられている。 4、もろみ製造工程酒母に、蒸米、麹、水を混合したものが「もろみ」であり、この中でアルコール発酵が行なわれる。日本酒造りの特徴のーつは、もろみ造りで原料（蒸米、麹、水）を一度に加えずに、何度かに分けて加え酵母を増殖させながら徐々に量を増やしていくことで、これを「酘仕込み」、「段仕込み」または「段掛け法」という。一般には 3 回に分けて仕込む「三段仕込み」が採られているが、「二段仕込み」や「四段仕込み」で造られる場合もある。発酵後、一定の期間をおいてからもろみを搾り、清酒と酒粕とに分ける。この原酒の段階でのアルコール度数は、高いものでは 20％前後になる。純米酒以外は、搾る直前に醸造アルコールが添加される。 5、精製・貯蔵・出荷工程清酒は搾っただけではまだ濁っている。これを濁りを沈殿させてから濾過し（滓引き・濾過）、加熱殺菌（火入れ）した後貯蔵する。貯蔵によって香味が調和し、日本酒らしい味になる（熟成熟）。出荷前に、活性炭などで精密濾過を行なった後、割水を加えて適度なアルコール濃度（一般には 15 ～ 16％）に調整して瓶に詰める。

Sake Meter Value: +10 Polishing Rate: 70%

Suijin Junmai Asabiraki (Iwate)

Sake Meter Value: +3 Polishing Rate: 70% (Yamadanishiki)

Ozeki Yamadanishiki Tokubetsu Junmai Ozeki Corporation (Hyogo)

この記事は株式会社柴田書店より提供されています。 This article was courtesy from Shibata Shoten Co Ltd.

Ryuji Takahashi

by Ryuji Takahashi

Regional Sake Specialty Store “Ji Sakeya” Owner, Master Sake Sommelier, Shuto-Meijin, and the charismatic guru of ordinary sake. Plans and manages events and seminars with his own unique flare to introduce the appeal of Japanese sake and cuisine, unaffected by the latest trends, while managing a jizake retail store.

The very hectic month of December

目まぐるしい師走

continue to push myself despite feeling exhausted during the month of December, a busy and hectic month with no chance to rest until the new year. First on the schedule is the instore sales event for Kondo Brewery (Kondo Shuzo Co., Ltd.) in Gunma prefecture. I happened to have new freshly squeezed sake, so I held the in-store sales event to sell the new sake and Junmai Ginjo “Kurobi” brewed using a centrifugal separator, winner of the Gold prize during the New York World Wine & Spirits Convention, over two days in the bitter cold weather. Kondo Brewery is the producer of the sake brand “Akagiyama.” Their flagship product is the Honjozo “Akagiyama Dry,” seemingly available in convenience stores, drug stores, and many stores that sell daily necessities. Seventy to eighty percent of this sake is consumed locally in Gunma prefecture, while seasonal and special sake are often not released in other prefectures. In Tokyo, only two stores including my own store deal directly with the brewery. At our store, customers from Gunma prefecture buy this sake product in bulk. The first day of the sales event concluded with an evening banquet at the brewery with lively discussions about sake, audio, and vehicles. The following week, I attended “An evening of Italian cuisine with sake” at the Italian restaurant “Karibe-tei.” Surprisingly, the event was attended by a record number of guests who feasted on luxury food ingredients such as lobster, shirako (soft roe), calf, and fresh oysters with eighteen sake bottles - nine different sake brands of two bottles each - the highest number of bottles consumed to date. The concluding dish was the bubbling Champagne Risotto. Guests took photos and videos of the bubbling Champagne Risotto. The last collaborative event

of the year featuring Italian cuisine ended successfully. I hosted the year-end hot pot dinner event with unrestricted time and appetizers brought by guests the following week. The final week consisted of three in-store sales events at Kanemasu Brewery in Niigata prefecture on the 28th, Hakuro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. in Niigata prefecture on the 29th, and Nihonsakari Co., Ltd. in Hyogo prefecture on the 30th, leading into the New Year’s Eve sales event, the busiest event of the year. I was writing this article midDecember without encountering any major issue. I felt rushed to finish all my work before the end of the year, as I have many events and business trips scheduled in 2024. I feel deeply grateful for this past year that ended without any major injury or illness affecting my business, and for all the many customers who supported my business this year. I look forward to another year of sake fans consuming a lot of sake in 2024.■

忙

しい日々に疲弊している師走だが、休んでいる場合ではなく正月まで突っ走るしかないと身体に鞭を打ち続けている。そんな中、まずは、群馬県近藤酒造の店頭販売会。ちょうど、搾りたての新酒がでたタイミングだったので、新酒とニューヨーク・ワールド・ワイン＆スピリッツ・コンペティションで金賞を受賞した遠心分離機を使くろび用した純米大吟醸の「黒檜」を中心に 2 日間、寒空の中で店頭販売を行った。この近藤酒造、「赤城山」という銘柄を醸しており、フラッグシップとなる商品は「赤城山・男の酒辛口」という本醸造酒で、群馬では何処でも買えるといった印象の酒である。コンビニやドラッグストアなど生活に密着した場所で気軽に買えるので、群馬での地元消費が七～八割くらいとのこと。その為、他県に季節商品や特別酒があまり出てこない。東京でも酒蔵と直接取引を行っているのは、当店を含め 2 か所くらいしかないらしい。当店では群馬出身のお客様がまとめ買いをするくらいである。１日目は販売会からの夜は酒蔵を囲んでの宴会も開催し、日本酒、オーディオ、車の話で大いに盛り上がった。翌週は、以前も何度か記事に書いた「イタリアンと日本酒の夕べ」と

いうイベントを下北沢のイタリア料理店「かりべ亭」にて開催。なんと、参加者が過去最高人数で、食材もオマール海老、白子、仔牛、生牡蠣など豪華食材の料理が並んだ。日本酒も過去最高 9 種類を 2 本ずつ計 18 本が空になった。締めは吹き出すシャンパンとリゾットが映えるシャンパンリゾット。皆がカメラを手に吹き出すシャンパンを動画や写真に収めていた。結果、過去最高に大盛り上がりの今年最後のイタリア料理とのコラボイベントとなった。その翌週は持ち寄りのおつまみと当店が用意する鍋の時間無制限忘年会イベントを行い、最終週の 28 日は新潟県金升酒造、29 日は新潟県柏露酒造、30 日は兵庫県日本盛の店頭販売会と続く。そして一年で一番忙しい大晦日の大販売会と繋がっていく。この記事を書いている時はまだ 12 月の中盤なので、まだ大きいトラブルも無いが、無事に年内業務を終わらせたい気持ちでいっぱいだ。既に 2024 年のイベントや地方出張予定も決まり始めていている。とにかく大きなケガや病気も無く無事に 1 年商売が出来たことと、沢山のお客様に支えられて 1 年が過ごせたことに心から感謝したい。2024 年も日本酒が多くの人に好まれ飲まれる事に期待したい。

Japanese Restaurant News • Vol. 33 • No. 303

JAPAN

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Master Sake Sommelier

Sake Shochu Beer Institute of America - The Growth Period of Japanese Sake-

米国酒焼酎麦酒研究所 / 日本酒の成長期 Best ways to store and enjoy sake Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

NPO法人米国酒焼酎蒸留酒研究所

Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America was founded with the purpose to promote further understanding of Japanese sake, shochu and beer in a shared where 500 million people enjoy wine in North America. We strive to increase Japanophiles by furthering understanding of the sake culture through online Japanese sake and shochu colleges and books related to Japanese sake, shochu and beer, etc. Especially sampling parties directly approaches consumers and no doubt contributes to expanding the market. Also, our final purpose is to facilitate communication with sake breweries, sake producers, and distribution companies, etc., to introduce Japanese sake, shochu and beer to American consumers in a way that’s easy-tounderstand.

Please enjoy sake with an appropriate amount of food over time, rather than chugging down sake at once. The appropriate amount of sake that prevents stress to the liver is one to two cups. Please keep this guideline in mind and do not drink alcohol one to two days a week to rest the liver. Please do not consume sake with medication, during pregnancy, or during the weaning period. Also, please do not take a hot bath or engage in heavy exercise after sake consumption, nor pressure others to consume sake. The Japanese have a limited ability to breakdown alcohol, while Northern European nationals in Finland and Sweden tend to be highly tolerant of alcohol. Although there is an individual difference, two cups of sake is typically broken down between six to seven hours. Sake does not cause obesity. The calorie content of sake is 185 kcal per 100 ml. Obesity from sake consumption is caused by snacks enjoyed with sake, not sake itself. Also, while alcohol typically cools the body, this is not the case with sake (according to Health and Medicine of Alcohol Association).■

10 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

適切な保存方法と飲み方日本酒を楽しく飲むためには、食べながら、適量をゆっくり飲むように心掛けて一気飲みなどははしないこと。肝臓に負担をかけないお酒の適量は、日本酒で 1 ～ 2 合。これを守ったうえで、週に 1 ～ 2 日の休肝日を作るのが望ましいとされている。薬と一緒に飲むのは NG で妊娠中、離乳期の飲酒も避ける。飲酒後の入浴や過激な運動もしてはならないし他人への無理強いもダメ。日本人はアルコールを分解する機能が弱いがフィンランド、スエーデンなど、北欧の国は強い傾向がある。お酒２合は消化に個人差はあるが、お酒 2 合の分解には 6 ～ 7 時間かかる。日本酒を飲んでも太らない。日本酒のカロリーは 100 ml で 185 kcal で太るのはお酒と一緒に食べるおつまみが原因。また、アルコール体を冷やすが、日本酒は違う。（アルコール健康医学協会）

NEWS / TRENDS

Restaurant employment topped pre-pandemic levels in November

-Overall restaurant employment surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but the extent of the industry’s recovery varies significantly by segment– 11 月の外食産業雇用者数、パンデミック前の水準を上回る

- 外食産業全体の雇用は、パンデミック以前の水準を上回ったが、回復の度合いはセグメントによって大きく異なる-

estaurant job growth was choppy in recent months, but the latest data suggests the industry finally returned to pre-pandemic employment levels in November. That was thought to be the case in September, before the preliminary data was revised sharply lower. Eating and drinking places* added a net 38,300 jobs in November on a seasonally-adjusted basis, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That followed upward-revised gains in both September and October. Including November’s increase, eating and drinking places have now added more than 6 million jobs since the pandemic trough of restaurant employment in April 2020. As of November 2023, eating and drinking places are 46,000 jobs above their February 2020 employment peak.

Fullservice segment still down over 200k jobs Overall restaurant employment surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but the extent of the industry’s recovery varies significantly by segment. [Note that the segment-level employment figures are lagged by one month, so October is the most current data available.] The fullservice segment experienced the most job losses during the initial months of the pandemic – and it still has the longest path to recovery. As of October 2023, fullservice restaurant employment levels were 205,000 jobs (or 4%) below pre-pandemic readings in February 2020. Employment counts in the cafeterias/grill buffets/buffets segment (-33%) also remained below their February 2020 levels. Job losses in the limited-service segments were somewhat less severe during the initial months of the pandemic, as these operations were more likely to retain staff to support their existing off-premises business. As of October 2023, employment at snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars

– including coffee, donut and ice cream shops – was 106,000 jobs (or 13%) above February 2020 readings. Staffing levels in the quickservice and fast casual segments were 119,000 jobs (or 3%) above pre-pandemic levels. Headcounts at bars and taverns were 51,000 jobs (or 12%) above the pre-pandemic peak.

23 states below pre-pandemic employment levels The rebuilding of the industry workforce has also been uneven across states. As of October 2023, 23 states and the District of Columbia still had fewer eating and drinking place jobs than they did in October 2019. This group was led by Maryland, which had 9% fewer eating and drinking place jobs in October 2023 than it did in October 2019. Maine (-8%), Vermont (-7%), Michigan (-6%) and Massachusetts (-6%) were also well below their pre-pandemic restaurant employment levels. As of October 2023, eating and drinking place employment in 27 states surpassed their comparable pre-pandemic readings in October 2019. This group was led by Nevada (+15%), Utah (+13%), Idaho (+12%) and Montana (+9%). [Note that the state-level analysis uses October 2019 as the pre-pandemic comparison instead of February 2020, because seasonally-adjusted employment figures are not available.]

こ

こ数ヶ月、外食産業の雇用は伸び悩んでいたが、最新のデータによると、11 月にようやく大流行前の雇用水準に戻ったようだ。これは、速報値が大幅に下方修正される前の 9 月にも見られたことである。労働統計局（BLS）の速報データによると、飲食店 * の 11 月の雇用者数は季節調整後で正味 3 万 8300 人増加した。これは、9 月、10 月ともに上方修正された増加に続くものである。 11 月の増加分を含めると、飲食店は 2020 年 4 月の外食雇用のパンデミックの谷から 600 万人以上の雇用を増やしたことになる。2023 年 11 月現在、飲食店は 2020 年 2 月の雇用ピークを 46,000 人上回っている。

フルサービス部門は依然として 20 万人以上減少外食産業全体の雇用者数は、パンデミック以前の水準を上回ったが、業界の回復の程度はセグメントによって大きく異なる。[ セグメントレベルの雇用者数は 1 ヶ月遅れで算出されているため、 10 月が最新のデータであることに注意されたい。］フルサービス部門は、パンデミック初期の数ヶ月間、最も多くの雇用を失ったが、回復への道のりはまだ長い。2023 年 10 月現在、フルサービス・レストランの雇用レベルは、2020 年 2 月のパンデミック前の数値を 205,000 人（または 4％）下回っている。カフェテリア／グリルビュッフェ／ビュッフェ部門の雇用者数（-33％）も 2020 年 2 月の水準を下回ったままであった。限定サービス・セグメントにおける雇

用減少は、パンデミック初期の数ヶ月間はやや軽微であった。2023 年 10 月現在、コーヒー、ドーナツ、アイスクリームショップを含むスナックとノンアルコール飲料バーの雇用は、2020 年 2 月の予測値を 106,000 人（13％）上回っている。クイックサービスとファストカジュアル部門の従業員数は、パンデミック前の水準を 11 万 9,000 人（3％）上回った。バー・居酒屋の従業員数は、パンデミック前のピークを 5 万 1,000 人（12％）上回った。

23 州がパンデミック前の雇用水準を下回る業界労働力の再建も州によってばらつきがある。2023 年 10 月時点で、23 の州とコロンビア特別区は、2019 年 10 月時点よりも飲食店の求人数が減少している。このグループを牽引したのはメリーランド州で、2023 年 10 月の飲食店求人数は 2019 年 10 月より 9％減少した。メイン州（-8％）、バーモント州（-7％）、ミシガン州（-6％）、マサチューセッツ州（-6％）も、パンデミック前の飲食店雇用水準を大きく下回った。 2023 年 10 月の時点で、27 州の飲食店雇用は、2019 年 10 月のパンデミック前の比較値を上回った。このグループを牽引したのは、ネバダ州（+15%）、ユタ州（+13%）、アイダホ州（+12%）、モンタナ州（+9%）であった。 [ なお、州レベルの分析では、季節調整後の雇用者数が入手できないため、 2020 年 2 月ではなく 2019 年 10 月を流行前の比較対象としている ]。 Text courtesy from National Restaurant Association

Japanese Restaurant News • Vol. 33 • No. 303

NEWS / TRENDS

Popularizing “foods” that meet SDGs

-Sustainable spirit produced by Shichiken and Alain DucasseSDGs を見据えた“食” の普及を推進

ー七賢とアラン・デュカス氏が造るサステナブル・スピリッツー

maestro of French cuisine renowned for impressing food connoisseurs worldwide, Alain Ducasse is a long-time promoter of foods that meet sustainable development goals (SDGs), now a major global trend. Ducasse helped develop the new “Alan Ducasse Sustainable Spirit” with SDGs as the concept, now completed in Japan. Ducasse invited sake experts to France and unveiled his new spirit developed with SDGs as the concept on November 7. The maestro commented, “I hope you enjoy new cocktail flavors prepared using my sustainable spirit, the first sustainable spirit in the world.” D e c a s s e s e l e c t e d Ts u s h i m a Kitahara as his partner once again. Kitahara is a producer of sake such as “Shichiken,” etc., at Yamanashi Meiji Co., Ltd. (established in Hokuto city, Yamanashi prefecture in 1750). The duo worked to distill the highest quality of spirit using a sustainable, environmentally friendly distilling method. Decasse first collaborated with Kitahara to develop a sparkling sake by secondary fermentation inside the bottle, which took five years to develop and was completed in 2021. Kitahara is the thirteenth owner of the sake brewery operating since the Edo period (1603-1868), long practicing environmentally friendly sake production that follows traditions.

Kitamura’s efforts to protect the brewery’s precious water source for generations over the years of sake production resonates with Decasse, a passionate sake fan. Kitamura said, “Producing sake in a way that protects our water source ensures the preservation of nature for future generations. Protecting abundant natural resources is my mission.” Conversing about sake production with Kitahara inspired Decasse to propose the joint development of a new sake that meets SDGs as the concept. Decasse stated, “Water is life itself, the life source of both sake and earth. This spirit marks the beginning of our new journey towards the future.”

Shochu sample distilled from sake lees Sake lees produced while brewing sake increases in volume as the sake production volume increases, reaching 100 tons a year. The use of these sake lees is a major issue. Once a “byproduct,” sake lees was used as a condiment in Japanese cuisine. However, demand for sake lees decreased over time, now disposed of as industrial waste despite its high alcohol content with flowery, fruity extracts. Kitahara distilled the sake lees and stored them over time. Upon hearing this, Decasse said, “Sounds interesting,

Tsushima Kitahara (left), Alan Decasse

12 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

let me try it.” Upon sampling, Decasse was captivated by its flavorful Ginjo aroma and suggested, “Let’s distill a spirit together.” The duo started to develop a new spirit from sake lees. Barrels from local whisky producer Suntory Hakushu Distillery were used to age the sake lees and produce a flavorful spirit that cannot be created by simply distilling sake lees. Aging the spirit in these barrels for three years produced a new flavor and aroma. Further, distilled sake lees are used by local cattle farmers as feed for cows. A recycling mechanism that generates no waste was created to use cow dung and urine fertilizer in sake rice fields. Decasse tasted the spirit and said confidently, “The completed spirit has a strong fruity aroma of pineapples and white peaches.” The bartender at the cocktail bar of the unveiling party in Paris said the flowery aroma matched the pure rice flavor perfectly. Also, the resident sommelier of the hotel said

the notable, exotic flavor of the spirit was characteristic of the sustainable brewing method used. Decasse said, “This spirit was aged in oak barrels. I’m convinced this spirit opens the door to a world of new flavors never tasted before. None of the quality ingredients are wasted using this method. Our job is to produce high-quality products that protect the environment as an actor to create a sustainable earth.” Kitamura said, “We met our SDGs without producing any waste by using each ingredient thoroughly. We created a new flavor by aging shochu derived from sake lees in whiskey barrels. The Ginjo aroma derived from Ginjo sake, a characteristic of Shichiken, emphasizes the pleasant, refreshing note with a whiff of sake lees.” Since December, 15,000 bottles of “Alan Decasse Sustainable Spirit” were released in France and Japan. The production volume will increase after 2024 for worldwide release.■

世界ランス料理界の巨匠アラン・の美食家をうならせて来たフ

デュカス氏は、現在世界で大きな潮流となっている SDGs、持続可能な開発目標を見据えた食の普及を推進して来た。そんなデュカス氏が開発に取り組んだ SDGs をコンセプトにした新しいスピリッツ「アラン・デュカス・サステナブル・スピリッツ」が日本で完成した。 11 月 7 日アラン・デュカス氏がフランスにおいて酒の専門家を招き、SDGs をコンセプトにした新しい日本酒を披露した。デュカス氏は「世界初となる私のサスティナブル・スピリッツを中心としたカクテルで素晴らしい発見をしていただけたらと思います」と話す。地球環境に優しく持続可能な製法で最高の日本酒を造りたい、とデュカス氏がパートナーに再び選んだのは、山梨県北杜市で 1750 年創業の山梨銘醸株式会社で“七賢”など日本酒造りに取り組む北原対馬氏。デュカス氏との初めてのコラボは 2021 年に完成した瓶内二次発酵製法によるスパークリング日本酒。こ

れには開発までに 5 年の歳月を要したという。北原氏は江戸時代から続く蔵元の 13 代目で、これまで伝統を重んながらも環境に配慮した酒造りに取り組んで来た。日本酒が大好きなデュカス氏は北原氏が貴重な水源を代々守り通して酒を作り続けて来たことに共感している。北原氏は「この水に向き合う酒造りをして、自然を後世に残せるように、豊かな大自然を守り抜くことも私達の使命」と語る。デュカス氏は北原氏と話すうちに日本酒作りをヒントに SDGs をコンセプトにした新たな酒を一緒に開発しようと決めた。デュカス氏は「水は命そのもので、酒の命でもあり、地球の命でもある。未来に向けた新たな旅が始まる。」と語る。

酒粕を蒸留した焼酎の試作日本酒を造る際に出る酒粕は、日本酒の生産量が拡大していくとその量も増え年間 100 トンにもおよび、その活用が大きな課題となっていた。 “副産物”であった酒粕は和食の調味料として利用さ

Japanese Restaurant News • Vol. 33 • No. 303

れて来たが時代の変化などで需要が減り産業廃棄物として処理されていた。酒粕自体には、まだまだお酒のアルコールをふんだんに含み、華やかでフルーティーなエキスが含まれている。そこで北原氏は酒粕を蒸留して寝かせてみた。この話をデュカス氏にしたところ、「面白そうだから飲ませて」ということで試飲してみると、その魅力的な吟醸の香りの虜になり「一緒に造ろう」ということで酒粕を原料にした新たなスピリッツの開発が始まった。酒粕を蒸留するだけでは出来ない、もっと魅力的なスピリッツにしたい、と

いう思いから地元でウイスキー造りをしているサントリー白州蒸留所の樽で熟成させること。この樽で 3 年熟成させることで新しい味わいや香りが生まれた。さらに蒸留後に残った酒粕も地元の畜産農家が牛のエサとして活用。またその牛のふん尿は、酒米を作る田んぼの肥料に無駄のない循環型の仕組みも出来上がった。完成した酒にデュカス氏は「完成したスピリッツは白桃やパイナップルのようなフルーティーな香りがたまらない」と自信をのぞかせる。パリで最も歴史のあるパラスホテルとして知られる老舗

14 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

“ル・ムーリス”で開催されたお披露目会では、米の純粋さと花の香りがマッチしておりとても気に入った、とカクテルバーのバーテンダーは話す。また、ホテルで働くソムリエは、とても魅力的でエキゾチックな味で、この酒の作り方はまさにサスティナブルの象徴だと思う。と感想を述べた。デュカス氏は「この酒はオーク樽で熟成させたもの。味わったことのない世界の扉を開いてくれると確信している。すべての良い原料を本来の方法で何も無駄にしていない。私達は地球を大切にする高品質な製品をつくり、サステナブルな地球を構成するアクターで

ありたい」と語る。北原氏は、「無駄なく余すところなく使う SDGs を実現し、酒粕由来の焼酎をウイスキー樽で熟成させるという製法で新たな味わいを生んだと思う。七賢の特徴である吟醸酒由来の吟醸香が清涼感あふれる爽やかさを強調しており、酒粕の香りを秘めたスピリッツに仕上がった」と自信をのぞかせる。「アラン・デュカス・サステナブル・スピリッツ」は 12 月からフランスと日本で 15000 本発売され、2024 年以降は生産量を増やして全世界で発売していく予定だという。

NEWS / TRENDS

Challenges of a Japanese whisky distillery starting production at a new distillery while celebrating its 100th anniversary -Whisky brand released with unique flavors characteristic of the local climate of Yamagata prefecture-

日本産ウイスキー 100 年目の新たなウイスキー蒸留所の挑戦ー庄内の風土と時を世界に届けるウイスキーブランドの誕生ー

amazaki Distillery, Japan’s first whisky distillery, was founded a century ago in 1923. The distillery released various unique flavors over the past century. Currently renowned as “Japanese whisky” worldwide, the export value of whisky released by Yamazaki Distillery reached 56 billion JPY in 2023, a tenfold increase over the past ten years. This report introduces the various challenges Yamazaki Distillery overcame to start whisky production at a new distillery in Yamagata prefecture during a milestone year that celebrated its centennial anniversary. One hundred years after the first whisky distillery in Japan opened, GAKKOGAWA DISTILLERY, Inc. started whisky production at a newly constructed distillery in Yuzamachi city, Yamagata prefecture in 2023. Jumpei Sato, President of GAKKOGAWA DISTILLERY, Inc., commented enthusiastically, “We look forward to releasing whisky that reflects our 100 years of history.” Sato is also the sixth owner of Tatenokawa Brewery, a longestablished sake brewery dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868). As sake consumption continued to decline domestically, Sato felt anxious about the future of the sake industry and decided his expertise in sake production would be applicable to whisky production. Next, he shifted his attention to the selection of water to be used to produce whisky. Groundwater from Mt. Chokai, one of Japan’s 100 most famous mountains, is pure, thus the distillery was built near the source. Soft water contains no iron or manganese, thus suitable to produce whisky with a mild flavor, like sake. “The area is very fertile with a water source suitable for delicate whisky flavor produced by a Japanese distillery,” Sato continued. Sake production techniques passed down

from brewery workers since the Edo period are also utilized. Distillery workers must analyze the whisky flavor during the fermentation process that mixes barley with water sourced from Mt. Chokai, etc., to raise the alcohol content. “The odor is similar to egg, proof that lactic acid is fermenting. A visual inspection and the sniffing test are conducted to see the bubbles generated and to detect any issues by smell. We capitalize on our experience in sake production,” said one distillery worker. The temperature is managed thoroughly. A change in temperature of 0.1 degrees can change

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the whisky flavor while fermenting. Therefore, a distillery worker observes the distillation process closely to assess the conditions. The ideal flavor is pursued during the fermentation period that differs between whisky and sake. The natural bounty of Yamagata prefecture and sake production techniques of distillery workers are packed into the whisky and aged gradually over three years. “I look forward to producing Japanese whisky with a refined, pure, and elegant flavor that attracts whisky fans worldwide,” commented Sato when asked about his aspirations. Sato

Junpei Sato © GAKKOGAWA DISTILLERY, Inc.

Left: Masataka Taketsuru Right: Shinjiro Torii

plans to capitalize on the sales channels of Tatenokawa Brewery, exporter of sake and liqueurs to twenty-five nations and regions worldwide, to expand sales channels for whisky to markets overseas, where demand will increase.

Japanese climate and topography are suitable for sake production Japan is wedged among four tectonic plates – the North American Plate, Eurasian Plate, Pacific Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate. An island nation prone to suffer the highest number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the world, the mountains of Japan occupy approximately seventyfive percent of the nation. Soil in this abnormal region grows seasonal food ingredients. Most water in Japan is soft water because of low mineral content due to geological formations and terrain. Minerals gradually dissolve from geological formations and limestone as water flows through the landscape. The natural environment greatly influences the hardness

of the water. Japan is home to many geological formations consisting of low-density volcanic formation with heavy rain, which shortens the retention time in the ground. Also, the land is small with rivers consisting of steep slopes, with water flowing out into the ocean. Therefore, water low in minerals is mostly soft water. Further, approximately ten percent of Japan’s foundation consists of granite, an igneous rock, or covered by sand derived from granite. Granite is low in iron, calcium, and magnesium while abundant in potassium, thus generating soft water unique to Japan. In fact, soft water generated from granite is essential to produce sake. Koji mold, used in “saccharification” to generate umami and sweet flavors from rice during the sake production process, is highly incompatible with iron. Also, yeast is used during the fermentation stage to generate aroma. This yeast uses potassium as a nutritional source. In other words, these two molds essential to produce sake generate their true value when used with water

flowing in Japan. To say land abundant in granite produces sake would not be an exaggeration. Also, the Japanese focused on the property of soft water since ancient times and built many sake breweries in mountainous regions with granite - such as Saijyo city in Hiroshima prefecture, Nada city in Hyogo prefecture, Uonuma region in Niigata prefecture, etc. - all renowned sake production regions to date.

Shinjoro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru, Japan’s first whisky distillers Two Japanese nationals played important roles in inventing Japanese whisky. Shinjoro Torii is the founder of Kotobukiya (currently Suntory Holdings, Ltd.), which built the first distillery in Japan. Masataka Taketsuru was invited to be the distiller by Torii. Japanese whisky was first released in 1923. Settu Shuzo in Osaka prefecture (currently Takara Holdings, Inc.) played a very important role in the history of Japanese whisky by sending

Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland to study whisky production (1918~1920). Taketsuru’s plan to produce whisky following his return to Japan was rejected by the brewery due to the economic recession that loomed postWorld War I. Taketsuru resigned from Settu Shuzo after his plan to produce whisky was rejected and started to teach chemistry at a middle school. Hearing this, Torii valued Taketsuru’s expertise and invited him to be the first plant manager of Yamazaki Distillery to be constructed. Yamazaki Distillery founded by Kotobukiya started operations on October 1, 1923, marking the beginning of the history of Japanese whisky. Taketsuru produced whisky using the traditional method he learned in Scotland. Four years after Yamazaki Distillery was established, the first authentic whisky “Suntory Whisky,” distilled from unprocessed sake, was released under the White Label in 1929. This was the first authentic Japanese whisky released. 1923 marks the first year Japanese whisky was released. In fact, April 1 is the release date of the first authentic Japanese whisky, designated as “Whisky Day” in 2021.

Japanese whisky sales initially struggled Since the economic bubble burst in 1991, Japan entered a long recession. However, the Japanese whisky industry had already started to slump even before then. According to a survey conducted by the National Tax Agency Japan, whisky consumption in Japan was last documented to be approximately 380,000 kiloliters in 1983 before declining steadily due to the popularity of local sake and shochu. Whisky consumption continued to decline over a long period due to the popularity of beer, sake, and shochu. Japanese whisky faced a challenging period in its history. After a prolonged slump in sales, a ray of light signaled an end in 2001, when “Yoichi 10 Year Old” by The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd. won first prize at the first “Best of the Best” contest (currently World Whiskies Awards), a convention organized by the British publication Whisky Magazine. Since then, various unique flavors of quality Japanese whisky are rated highly both domestically and abroad, igniting the start of the global “Japanese whisky boom.” Players in the Japanese whisky boom, led initially by major whisky producers such as Suntory and Nikka,

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changed dramatically when independent, small-scale Venture Whisky emerged on the world stage. Every contestant - convinced an unknown whisky brand produced in low volumes can still attain global recognition if the quality of the whisky is good - submitted entries from different industries or started their own distilleries, with various small and large craft whisky distilleries bristled nationwide. Today, Japanese whisky is one of the “world’s five major whiskies” alongside Scottish, Irish, Canadian, and American whiskies. The entire whisky distillery industry is working to catch the next tailwind and thrive for another 100 years. Only a dozen or so whisky distilleries existed nationwide in the 2000s and continued to increase in numbers, while others rushed to start more. Currently, approximately fifty whisky distilleries operate throughout Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa prefecture with some still under construction.

Labeling standards established for Japanese whisky The Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Maker Association established standards for “Japanese whisky” products. Since no clear standards were established, products not defined as whisky according to the Japanese Liquor Tax Law and unprocessed sake purchased from overseas were bottled domestically, labeled with kanji characters, and sold overseas as Japanese whisky by some suppliers. As craft distilleries bristle during the global boom, the established labeling standards are important to protect the value of Japanese whisky and pass on its authentic flavors correctly and globally.■

1923

年に日本初のウイスキー蒸溜所、山崎蒸溜所が誕生して100 年。長い歴史のなかでさまざまな個性を開花させてきた日本産ウイスキー。今では“ジャパニーズウイスキー”として世界で人気が高く、2023 年の輸出額はおよそ 560 億円にのぼり、この10 年で10 倍以上に伸びている。その100 年の節目の年に、山形県でウイスキーの生産を新たに始めた蒸留所の挑戦を紹介する。日本初のウイスキー蒸溜所が誕生して 100 年後の 2023 年に山形県遊佐町に新たに建設された蒸留所で生産が始まった。その蒸留所の名前は月光川蒸留所。代表を務める佐藤淳平社長は「100 年目の立ち上げの蒸留所にふさわしいウイスキーを作って展開していきたい。」と意気込みを語る。実は佐藤社長は、江戸時代から続く老舗酒蔵の楯の川酒造の 6 代

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目でもある。日本国内の日本酒消費量の減少が続き、危機感を強めていた佐藤社長は、日本酒造りの経験はウイスキー作りに応用出来ると考えた。目を付けたのはウイスキー造りの水選びだった。日本百名山の鳥海山から湧き出る伏流水は純水に近く、その超軟水の湧き出る場所に蒸留所を建設した。超軟水は鉄分やマンガンが少なく、日本酒と同様に柔らかな味わいのウイスキーを作ることが出来るという。「ここは非常に恵まれた土地で日本人が作るきめ細かいウイスキーにマッチした水源だと思います」と語る。そして江戸時代から受け継がれて来た日本酒蔵人も技術力を活用。大麦と鳥海山の水などを混ぜてアルコール度数を高める発酵の工程では、蔵人による風味分析が欠かせないと言う。「たまごの様な匂いで、乳酸発酵している証拠。目で見て鼻で感じて、泡だっているもの、おかしいものも匂いで分かります。日本酒で培って来た経験が生かされていると思う」と言う。さらに温度管理にも徹底的にこだわる。発酵させている間、温度が 0.1 度変わるだけで味が変わってしまうため、蔵人が付きっきりで状態を見極める。ウイスキーと日本酒で発酵の期間は異なるものの、理想の味を追い求める。そして山形の自然の恵みと蔵人の技を詰め込んだウイスキーは 3 年間じっくりと熟成させる。佐藤社長は「世界中のウイスキー愛好家を惹き付ける、魅力のあるジャパニーズ・ウイスキーで、洗練されたピュアでエレガントなウイスキーになるように取り組んでいきたいと思っている」と抱負を語る。また、現在 25 の国と地域へ日本酒とリキュールの輸出をしている楯の川酒造の販路を最大限に活用して需要の高まる海外へウイスキーの販路を拡大してゆく予定。

日本は酒造りに適した環境日本は付近に北米プレート、ユーラシアプレート、太平洋プレート、フィリピン海プレートの 4 つのプレートに乗っている。そして世界でも有数の地震・火山大国であり島国でありながら、国土の約 75％を山地が占める。このような特異な成り立ちは、四季折々の食材を育む土壌になっている。日本の水の大半は軟水。これは、地層や地形の関係で水に含まれるミネラル成分が少ないため。ミネラル成分は、水が自然の中を流れる過程で地層や石灰岩から少しづつ溶け出すため、自然環境が水の硬度に大きく影響する。日本は密度の低い火山性の地層が多い上に、雨が多いため地中での滞留時間が短くなる。また、土地が狭く川の斜面が急なためすぐに海に流れ出てしまう。このようにミネラル成分の少ない水が出来るために軟水が多い。さらに、日本の地盤の約 10％が、火成岩の花崗岩、もしくは花崗岩由来の砂で覆われていることが大きい。花崗岩には鉄分、カルシウム、マグネシウムに乏しく、カリウムを豊富に含んでいるという特徴があり、それが日本特有の軟水を生み出す。実はそんな花崗岩から生み出された軟水が、日本酒の製造には欠かせない。日本酒の製造過程で、米本来の旨味と甘みを引き出す「糖化」に用いられる麹菌は鉄分を極端に嫌う。また、香味を出すための発酵段階では酵母菌が使われる。その酵母菌はカリウムを栄養源として活動する。つまり、日本酒の製造に必須なこれらの 2 つの菌は日本の水だからこそ、真価を発揮する。花崗岩が多い国土が日本酒を生んだといっても過言ではないと言える。そして、古くからその軟水の性質に着目していた日本人は、今でも日本酒の名産地として知られる、西条 ( 広島県 )、灘

Chokaizan © Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization

( 兵庫県 )、魚沼地方 ( 新潟県 ) など、その土地の背後に花崗岩で出来た山々を持つ地域に多くの酒蔵を作ってきたのである。

日本産ウイスキーを生んだ鳥井信治郎と竹鶴政孝日本のウイスキー誕生には 2 人の日本人が重要な役割を果たしている。そのひとりが、日本で初めて蒸留所を造った寿屋（現サントリー）の創業者、鳥井信治郎。そしてもうひとりが、鳥井が蒸留技師として招いた竹鶴政孝。日本産ウイスキーが誕生したのは、 1923 年。日本産ウイスキーの歴史において非常に重要な役割を担った大阪の摂津酒造（現、宝ホールディングス）が当時在籍していた竹鶴政孝をウイスキーの製造を学ぶためにスコットランドに派遣（1918 ～ 20 年）した。竹鶴は帰国後にウイスキーの製造を計画したが、会社内では第一次世界大戦後の不況もあり賛同

が得られなかった。ウイスキー造りが頓挫したことで竹鶴は摂津酒造を辞し中学校で化学の教員をしていた。それを聞きつけた鳥井が専門的知識を持つ竹鶴を建設予定の山崎蒸留所の初代工場長として迎い入れた。 1923 年 10 月 1 日に寿屋の山崎蒸溜所が稼働して日本産ウイスキーの歴史が始まった。竹鶴はスコットランドで学んだ伝統的な手法でウイスキーを製造し、蒸留所設立から 4 年後の 1929 年に山崎蒸留所の原酒を使った第 1 号の本格ウイスキー「サントリーウイスキー」通称白札の名で発売した。これが日本初の本格ウイスキーであり、1923 年は日本の「ウイスキー元年」と言われている。ちなみに日本初の本格ウイスキー発売した 4 月 1 日は、2021 年に「ウイスキーの日」に制定されている。

順調ではなかった日本産ウイスキー 1991 年のバブル崩壊をきっかけに、日本は長い不況に突入してしまうが、日本のウイスキー産業はそれよりも早く落ち込んでいた。国税庁の調査ではウイスキーの消費量は、1983 年に約 38 万キロリットルを記録したのを最後に国内のウイスキー消費量は地酒ブームや焼酎に押され右肩下がりになり、消費量はビール、日本酒、焼酎に押されその状況は長く続き日本産ウイスキーの歴史において厳しい時代を迎える。そして、長く続いた暗黒の時代にひと筋の光がさしたのは 2001 年のこと。イギリスのウイスキー専門誌が主催するコンペティションで、ニッカの「シングルカスク余市 10 年」がベスト・オブ・ザ・ベスト（現ワールド・ウイスキー・アワード）に選ばれたのだ。それ以降、日本産ウイスキーの品質の高さや多様な個性は国内外で高く評価されるようになり、今日まで続く、世界的な“ジャパ

ニーズウイスキーブーム”の時代が到来した。当初はサントリーやニッカといった大手メーカーが牽引していたジャパニーズウイスキーブームだが、小規模かつインデペンデントなベンチャーウイスキーが世界の舞台へと躍りでてきたことによって、その状況は一変した。どんなに小規模でも、名前が知られていなくても、良質なものをつくればきっと、世界は認めてくれる。誰もがそう確信し異業種から新たに参入したり、個人で蒸溜所を立ち上げたりと、全国に大小さまざまなクラフトディスティラリーズが林立していった。今ではスコッチ、アイリッシュ、カナディアン、アメリカンとともに、「世界 5 大ウイスキー」に名を連ねている日本産ウイスキー。次の 100 年に向けて、今業界全体が、大きな追い風に期待を寄せている。 2000 年代には全国に十数ヵ所を数えるのみだったウイスキー蒸溜所だが、その数は続々と増え続け新興蒸溜所の設立ラッシュとなった。現在では建設中のものも含めると北海道から沖縄まで全国に約 50 ヵ所まで増えている。

2021 年にジャパニーズウイスキーの表示基準制定日本洋酒酒造組合は、「ジャパニーズウイスキー」を名乗るうえでの自主基準を制定。それまでは明確な基準が定められてなかったため、日本の酒税法上ウイスキーとは呼べないものや、海外から仕入れた原酒を国内でボトリングし、漢字入りのラベルをつけて、ジャパニーズウイスキーとして海外向けに販売する業者も散見された。世界的なブームとクラフトディスティラリーズが林立する状況のなかで、今後もジャパニーズウイスキーの価値を守り、その魅力を広く正しく伝えていくためにも、この表示基準の制定はとても意義深いものといえる。

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NEWS / TRENDS

Haru Takehana, President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California

Kenko Sone, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan

“Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo” held to introduce traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations

-Many visitors attended the annual New Year’s celebrations held for the 25th year日本伝統の正月文化を紹介する「お正月イン・リトル東京」開催－25回を迎える新年の恒例行事に多くの参加者－

“O

shogatsu in Little Tokyo” was jointly organized by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California (JCCSC) and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce Foundation in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles to introduce traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations. This event, held for the 25th year, is now a New Year custom in Los Angeles, attended by over 10,000 visitors each year. This annual New Year event was started to revitalize the town around Little Tokyo and introduce traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations to Americans and younger generations of Japanese Americans, now an essential event in the Japanese community. Haru Takehana, President of the JCCSC, commented on his aspirations: “We’re blessed with great weather to start the new year and to welcome more visitors than last year. JCCSC is excited to introduce Japanese culture to as many visitors as possible. As American society, politics, and society in general is divided, the Japanese community faces a challenge in deciding which direction to move

forward. The first step is to adhere to and introduce Japanese culture and traditions worldwide. JCCSC is determined to continue our contribution to the Japanese community through events like this.” The New Year’s celebration was held at Weller Court as the main venue and the Japanese Village Plaza to invite visitors to enjoy traditional Japanese New Year’s festivities. A dynamic taiko drum performance started before the event kicked off at 10:00 AM, followed by the opening ceremony on stage, the ceremonial breaking of the sake barrel, Mochi maki (scattering of mochi to visitors), folk song and dance, Shorinji Kempo and Aikido demonstrations, Kawachi Ondo & Dance, Awa Odori Dance, Calligraphy demonstration, Lion Dance, etc. Each traditional, cultural, and entertainment organization active in the suburbs of Los Angeles performed songs, dances, and demonstrations. Lively performances on stage celebrated the New Year, while participants dressed in colorful kimonos competed in the Kimono Contest on stage. The Kimono Contest is organized by the

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L.A. Kimono Club as an annual club event held on New Year’s Day, also one of the main events of “Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo.” The event was started in the year 2000 to increase opportunities to wear kimonos and to introduce traditional Japanese culture by wearing them. Club members attend various Japanese cultural events wearing kimonos year-round. During the Mochi maki (scattering of mochi) by the Nisei Week Queen and Court, children jumped up and down to catch the red and white mochi. Picture books, Japanese folk art, and anime characters were sold at booths, along with oshiruko (sweet red-bean soup with mochi), yakisoba, karaage, takoyaki, mochi, and sake for tasting. Other booths invited visitors to fold origami or create small kites, many attended by children, to foster a feeling of traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations for visitors who attended for the first time. Kenko Sone, Honorary President of the JCCSC, commented: “I’m grateful to see traditional Japanese New Year’s celebrations continuing in Los Angeles to introduce the beauty of

Japanese culture, becoming increasingly familiar among Americans and Japanese Americans. I pray 2024 will bring many blessings to our visitors here today. I hope our chaotic world will overcome many challenges and take a turn for the better. Events like this can serve as the first step. I look forward to continuing our contribution to the Japanese community.” Bobby McDonald, a participant of this year’s event, commented: “I first became interested in Japan when I saw Pokémon as a kid. Now, I love Japan and visit Little Tokyo at least once a week. I enjoy coming here to have Japanese food and experience Japanese culture. I enjoyed taking part in the Japanese New Year customs. I plan to visit Japan in the spring, I’m looking forward to visiting Asakusa and Akihabara.” The suburb of Little Tokyo is also home to temples of each Buddhist sect. Many visitors made their first visit of the year to the Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo as they do each year to draw a fortune slip or purchase an amulet or talisman.■

南

加日系商工会議所と南加日商財団は、日本伝統の正月文化を紹介する元日の祝賀行事「お正月イン・リトル東京」をロサンゼルスのリトル東京で開催した。今回で 25 回目となるこのイベントはロサンゼルスの正月の風物詩となっており、毎年 1 万人以上の来場者がある。正月恒例となった同イベントは、リトル東京周辺の町の活性化と日本の正月を知らない若い世代の日系人やアメリカ人に日本の正月文化を紹介する目的で始められ、今では日系コミュニティーに欠かせない行事のひとつとなっている。竹花晴夫南加日系商工会議所会頭は、「新しい年の始めるにふさわしく素晴らしい天候に恵まれ、そして例年にも増して多くの方が祭りに参加してくれたことに心より感謝。日本の文化を少しでも多くの方に知ってもらえて嬉しく思う。アメリカ社会も政治や社会も分断している中で、日系社会は今後どういった方向へ向かうべきかという大きな課題があると思う。それにはまず日本の文化・伝統をしっかり守って世界に知ってもらうと言うことが重要。今後もこのようなイベントを通して日系社会にも貢献して行く決意。今後も継続して行きたい。」と抱負を述べた。イベントは、日本の伝統的な正月気分

を味わってもらいたいという趣旨のもと開催するもので、今回もメイン会場のウエラーコートとジャパニーズ・ビレッジ・プラザでの開催となった。午前 10 時の開始前には力強い太鼓演奏があり、設置されたステージでの開会式と鏡開きに続き、餅まきや民謡と踊り、少林寺拳法、合気道、河内音頭、阿波踊り、書初め、獅子舞などロサンゼルス近郊で活動する伝統文化・芸能の各団体が自慢の歌声や踊り、実技などを披露した。正月にふさわしく華やかな舞台が繰り広げられる中、着物コンテストでの晴れ着をまとった参加者達の姿はステージを鮮やかに彩った。着物コンテストは LA 着物クラブが主催するもので、着物クラブ恒例のお正月でもあり“お正月イン・リトル東京”のメイン行事のひとつ。和服を着る機会をもっと増やし、着物を通して日本の伝統文化を伝えようという目的で 2000 年に発足し、年間を通して、色々な日本の行事に着物で参加したりイベントを主催している。二世週祭の女王とコートたちによる餅まきでは、舞い上がる紅白の餅を必死に取ろうと楽しそうに飛び跳ねる子どもたちの姿があった。絵本や民芸品、アニメキャラクターの販売に加えお汁粉、焼きそば、唐揚げ、タコ焼き、お餅、酒テイスティングなどのブースが並んだ。ま

た、折り紙やミニ凧作りなど来場者が体験できるブースには多くの子供たちが参加し、初めて訪れた人でも日本の正月気分を存分に満喫できる趣向が凝らされた。南加日系商工会議所の名誉会頭でもある在ロサンゼルス領事館曾根健孝総領事は、「リトル東京で日本のお正月の伝統を継続していることで、アメリカ人の方や日系人の方々を含めて非常に広まって日本の文化の良さを伝えてもらえることは非常にありがたいと思っている。こういう形で新年を迎えて皆さんにとって 2024 年がさらに良い年になるようにお祈りしたいと思う。世界情勢が難しい状況だが困難を打開して良い方向へ向かうことを願っている。このようなイベント

はそのきっかけになると思う。今後も日系社会の発展に尽力したい。」と述べた。このイベントに参加したボビー・マクドナルド氏は「子供の頃ポケモンを見て日本に興味を持ったのが最初。今では日本が大好きで週に 1 回はリトル東京に来る。日本食を味わえて日本の文化に接することが出来るここが大好き。お正月を祝うという日本人の習慣に参加することが出来てうれしい。春に日本へ行く予定で浅草や秋葉原が楽しみ」と語ってくれた。また、リトル東京近郊には各宗派の寺院があるが、リトル東京内の高野山別院には、例年のように大勢の初詣客が訪れ、おみくじを引いたり、お守り、お札を買い求めるなど参拝者で賑わった。

Japanese Restaurant News • Vol. 33 • No. 303

Find Us

s @Los Angeleke Meetup a Japanese s Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Bon Yagi

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Katsuya Uechi

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

TIC GROUP

Chairman Katsuya Group

Rick Smith & Hiroko Furukawa

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Beau Timken

Kats Miyazato

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Owner “True Sake”

Owner of M&M Enterprise

Owner “SAKAYA NYC”

Logo Branding of Japanese Sake

Yuji Matsumoto

Master Sake Sommelier

David Kudo

Sake Sommelier Master Sake Sommelier

田，蘋果就是Apple等等。可見品牌logo很容易進入我們的腦海。這用在食物上非常好用，那酒呢？如果您看到帶有清酒的廣告也許會更了解：首先，則很難分辨出哪個是品牌logo，很多時更根本不存在這東西。我想知道究竟釀造公司的名稱是就品牌名，產品名稱是品牌名，還是特定名稱才是品牌名。

這樣一來，即使消費者擁有自己喜歡的產品，也讓消費者很難購買自己的產品或記住品牌。即使瓶身的顏色和尺寸因產品而異，在最醒目的位置貼上品牌logo，對品牌的建立與經營是很重要的事。那何不考慮一些對消費者更具吸引力的品牌形象（logo）呢？

清酒logo的品牌化 logo象徵著的公司產品，是最重要的標誌。放眼世界上銷售良好的產品，每家公司都有一個形象策略來宣傳其logo，以便消費者記住它。無論您看什麼產品，消費者首先看到的都是視覺效果，而文字和說明並不是那麼「入腦」。四個圓圈的是奧迪，H是本

32 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

Brewery Owner

Sake Sommelier and Others Kosuke Kuji

Teruyuki Kobayashi

Nanbu Bijin Inc. Fifth Generation Brewery Owner

Sake Samurai

Masato Kato

Akira Yuhara

Wismettac Asian Foods

Miyako Hybrid Hotel

Takao Matsukawa

Philip Harper

Latin Region Specialist Mutual Trading Co Inc.

Tamagawa Hand Made Japanese Sake Master Sake Brewer

Sake Sommelier

Mei HO

Keita Akaboshi

Sake Sommelier

Kuramoto US Inc.

True Sake

Michael John Simkin

Rachel Macalisang

Sake Sommelier

Mai Segawa

Don Lee

Advanced Sake Sommelier

MJS Sake Selection Owner

Sake Sommelier Yama Sushi Owner Chef

Tako Grill

Isao Kiyota

Shigeto Terasaka

Eda Vuong

International Kikisake-Shi

Sake Sommelier

Sake Sommelier Sake School of America

Academia de Sake Mexico Founder

Yoshihiro Sako

Sake Sommelier

Sake Ambassador

Yuzuki

Kurtis Wells Mixologist

Owner Japon Bistro

Kaz Tokuhara

Certified Sake Professional Level LL Young’s Market Company

Koji Wong

Sake and Wine Sommelier

Liloa Papa

Certified Wine & Sake Sommelier

Eduardo Dingler

Sake Sommelier

Miyuki Yoshida

Alice Hama

Sake Sommelier Sake Samurai

Hirohisa Kikuchi

Sake Sommelier

Chizuko Niikawa-Helto

Head of the “Regional Sake Tasting Club”

Taruhei Brewing Co Ltd.

Timothy Sullivan

President Japan Hollywood Network

Joe Mizuno

Stuart Morris Sake Sommelier

Hana Japanese Restaurant

Koji Aoto

Sake Sommelier

Toshiyuki Koizumi

Manager Wismettac Asian Foods

Savannah Distributing Co. Inc.

Owner “WASAN”

Gary Imada Sake Advisor

Sake Sommelier

Eiji Mori

Michael Russell

Katana Restaurant

Pacific International Liquor Inc

Sake Sommelier

Certified Sake Sommelier

Info All Japan News, Inc. Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

(213) 680-0011, AllJapanNews@gmail.com

Seasonal Sake Part 3: Freshly squeezed draft sake

時令日本酒 ③ 鮮榨 by Kosuke Kuji

196

Kosuke Kuji

Fifth Generation Brewery Owner Nanbu Bijin, Inc.

我

介紹的是季節性日本酒的代表，但這次將介紹冬季的「鮮榨」酒。在寒冷的冬季，溫暖的酒是日本最好的冬季產品，日本酒的生產是從秋季收穫的新米開始的，新酒的第一次壓榨是在 11 月至 12 月期間進行的。許多酒藏都提供今年的新米釀

造的新鮮榨酒，作為冬季的季節性產品。新酒特有的新鮮香氣和味道，有年輕的感覺，有些帶有輕微的泡，繼承了醪的氣味。它是一種季節性的冬季飲品，可以在 12 月至 3 月的寒冷季節享用。這款酒非常年輕，所以與白肉生魚片或湯充足的關東煮一起享用非

常美味。此外，許多酒藏都將新鮮榨的生酒稱為“ 原酒 ” ，因此您可以享受原酒的力量。在岩手縣，外面下著大雪，屋裡卻很暖和，冬天最好的樂趣就是坐在溫暖的kotastu 裡，一邊喝著被冰鎮的鮮榨酒，一邊著吃滾燙的火鍋。

日本餐厅新闻

日本酒百味百題

www.jfc.com

ake production cleverly uses the microbial functions of koji mold, yeast, etc. in various tasks. The sake production method was mostly established by the early Edo period (1603-1868) with basically

150種美味清酒從日本全國進口通過我們的全國網絡直接寄給你 Yoshihide Murakami Master Sake Sommelier Liquor Manager JFC International Inc.

Sake Meter Value: +5 Polishing Rate: 70% (USDA Organic Rice)

Hakutsuru Organic Junmai Hakutsuru Sake Brewing (Hyogo)

Sake production process 日本酒釀的製作過程 no major change to date. Sake production generally consists of the following five processes. 1. Raw material preparation process Three steps are required to prepare steam rice: “rice milling,” “washing and soaking,” and “steaming.” Steamed rice is used in each of the following three processes: Koji making, yeast starter and mash preparation. 2. Koji preparation process The process to inoculate steamed rice with seed malt to prepare koji requires both traditional manual labor and mechanical production. Koji breaks down starch in steamed rice, and yeast generates sugar required to ferment alcohol. 3. Yeast starter preparation process Culture sake yeast only in large volumes to ferment alcohol as purely as possible inside a mixture of steamed rice, koji, and water. The sake yeast starter is also referred to as “moto.” Purely cultured sake yeast is generally used, while sake yeast strains that inhabit the sake brewery are also used in some cases. Lactic acid used to prevent bacterial contamination is most important in preparing sake yeast, placed by naturally increasing lactic acid bacteria (Kimoto-type sake yeast starter) or adding lactic acid during the preparation (Sokujo-type sake yeast starter). 4. Mash preparation process “Mash” is prepared by mixing steamed rice, koji mold, and water into the sake yeast starter in which alcohol ferments. One characteristic of sake production is not to add the ingredients (steamed rice, koji mold,

Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamada Nishiki)

Tenbu Junmai Ginjo Nishi Shuzo (Kagoshima)

34 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

Sake Meter Value: +4 Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamadanishiki)

Mizubasho Ginjo Nagai Shuzo (Gunma)

and water) into the mash, but to add the ingredients in several stages to propagate the sake yeast while gradually increasing the volume, referred to as “stage preparation.” Generally, the “three-stage preparation” is used to divide the preparation into three stages, while the “two-stage preparation” and “four-stage preparation” are also used in some cases. After fermentation, the mash is squeezed after a certain time, then divided into sake and sake lees. At this stage, unprocessed sake is high in alcohol content, approximately twenty percent in some cases. Distilled alcohol is added to sake other than Junmai sake before squeezing. 5. Filtration, pasteurization, and aging Refined sake is still cloudy after squeezing. After the sediments settle, cloudy sake is filtered and pasteurized, then stored. Storing the sake harmonizes the aroma and generates a unique sake flavor. Sake is finely filtered using activated carbon before adding some water to adjust the alcohol concentration (generally fifteen to sixteen percent), then bottled prior to shipment.■

日

本酒釀造巧妙地利用了曲霉和酵母等微生物的功能，由多種工藝作業組成。製作方法在江戶時代初期已幾近完善，至今基本上沒有太大的改變。一般來說，它由以下五個步驟組成。 1、原料處理工藝蒸米飯的工藝包括三個步驟：「精米」、「洗米/浸泡」，和「蒸米」。蒸

Sake Meter Value: +2 Polishing Rate: 60%

Fukuju Blue Junmai Ginjo Kobe Shushinkan (Hyogo)

米被用於酒麯工藝、酒母工藝，和醪工藝。 2、酒麯製造工藝將籽酒麯接種到蒸好的米飯中製酒麯的工藝包括傳統的手工生產和機器生產。酒麯分解蒸米飯中的澱粉，生成的酵母發酵產生酒精所需的糖。 3、酒母的製作工藝只有進行酒精發酵的清酒酵母是在蒸米、酒麯和水的混合物中以盡可能接近純淨的狀態大量培養的。酒母又稱「酛」。一般使用純培養酵母，但也可以使用酒藏保存的酵母。製作酒母最重要的一點是如何透過允許乳酸的存在來防止細菌污染，有兩種方法：自然生長乳酸菌的傳統方法（生酛母系酒母），以及在備過程中添加乳酸菌的方法（速醸系酒母）。一般使用速醸系酒母，因為它安全且易於操作。 4、醪的製造工藝酒母是蒸米、酒麯和水的混合物（醪），酒精在這種混合物中進行發酵。日本酒釀造的特點之一是，醪的原料（蒸米、曲、水）不是一次全部添加，而是分幾次添加，讓酵母繁殖逐漸增加量，這就是所謂的「投仕入」、「段仕入」或「段掛法」。一般使用分三批投入的「三段仕入」，有時也使用「二段仕入」或「四段仕入」的情況。發酵後放置一段時間後，將醪液壓榨，分離成清酒和酒糟。這個原酒階段的酒精含量約為 2 0 %。純米酒以外的酒，在壓榨前添加釀酒。 5、精煉、儲存，和運輸過程壓榨後的清酒仍然是混濁的。混濁沉澱後過濾（除渣 / 過濾），加熱滅菌（加火），然後保存。經過儲藏，味道變得和諧，成為日本酒（成熟）的典型味道。出貨前，用活性碳等進行精密過濾後，加水將酒精濃度調節至適當水平（一般為15-16%）後裝瓶。

Sake Meter Value: +10 Polishing Rate: 70%

Suijin Junmai Asabiraki (Iwate)

Sake Meter Value: +3 Polishing Rate: 70% (Yamadanishiki)

Ozeki Yamadanishiki Tokubetsu Junmai Ozeki Corporation (Hyogo)

This article was courtesy from Shibata Shoten Co Ltd.

Ryuji Takahashi

by Ryuji Takahashi

The very hectic month of December 令人眼花撩亂的十二月

忙

碌的 1 2 月疲憊不堪，要不斷提醒自己沒有時間休息，只能撐到新年。同時，首先是群馬縣近藤酒造的店內銷售活動。恰逢鮮榨新酒上市，所以我決定嘗試一下在紐約世界葡萄酒與烈酒大賽上獲得金獎的使用離心分離機釀造的純米大吟釀“ K u r o b i ”為中心，專櫃銷售在寒冷的天氣中進行了兩天。這家近藤酒造釀造的品牌名為“ 赤城山 ” ，其主打產品是名為“赤城山男之酒辣口”的本釀酒，給人的印像是在群馬到處都可以買到。群馬本地消費約佔 7 0 - 8 0 %，可以在便利商店、藥局等與日常生活密切相關的場所輕鬆購買。因此，這種酒在其他縣作為時令產品或特製酒的時機並不多。在東京直接與酒藏開展業務只有兩個地方，包括我們的商店。在我們店裡，來自群馬的顧客經常大量購買。我們舉辦銷售活動的第一天晚上，在酒藏的包圍中舉行了宴會，我們在那裡談論日本酒、音頻，和汽車，度過了一段愉快的時光。接下來的一周，我們在下北澤的意大利餐廳“K a r i b e -te i”舉辦了一場名為“ 意大利和日本酒之夜 ”的活動，我之前已經寫過好幾次了。令人驚訝

的是，參加人數創歷史新高，龍蝦、魚白、子牛牛肉、生牡蠣等高級食材烹調的菜餚一字排開。九種日本酒各兩瓶共有18 瓶酒都空了，是有史以來最多的。最後是香檳燴飯，搭配噴湧的香檳和燴飯。每位客人都拿著相機，拍攝噴灑香檳的影片和照片。結果，這是今年最後一次與義大利美食的合作活動，也是有史以來最受歡迎的活動。接下來的一周，我們將舉辦一場無時間限制的年終聚會活動，有我們店將準備的便餐和火鍋。最後一週將於28日在新潟縣金升酒造舉行、29日在新潟縣柏露酒造舉行，30 日在兵庫縣日本盛店裡舉行銷售活動。這直接接續一年中最繁忙的除夕夜的大促銷活動。當我寫這篇文章時，還是12月中旬，所以我們還沒有遇到任何大問題，我充滿了在年底前安全完成工作的願望。2024 年的活動和各地商務旅行計畫已經開始規劃。不管怎樣，沒有受到任何重大傷害或疾病，並且能夠在這麼多客戶的支持下度過這一年，我表示衷心的感謝。希望 2 0 2 4 年日本酒能繼續受到更多人的喜愛與飲用。

日本餐厅新闻

JAPAN

Master Sake Sommelier Info All Japan News, Inc.

Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America (213) 680-0011 AllJapanNews@gmail.com

Yuji Matsumoto Master Sake Sommelier

Master Sake Sommelier

Toshio Ueno

Ami Nakanishi Master Sake Sommelier

Master Sake Sommelir

Atsuko Glick

Yoshihide Murakami Master Sake Sommelier

Master Sake Sommelier

David Kudo

Ryuji Takahashi

Beverage Manager

Vice President Sake School of America

Vice President New York Mutual Trading, Inc.

Instructor Sake School of America

Liquor Manager JFC International Inc.

President, All Japan News

Owner “Ji . sakeya” Shuto-Meijin

ymurakami@jfc.com

davidkudo@gmail.com

ryu2syuto@yahoo.co.jp

Ask me ymatsumoto001@gmail.com info@sakeschoolofamerica.com info@sakeschoolofamerica.com info@sakeschoolofamerica.com

Master Sake Sommelier

Sake Shochu Beer Institute of America - The Growth Period of Japanese Sake瞭解日本酒 - 成為日本酒大使 Best ways to store and enjoy sake Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

NPO法人米国酒焼酎蒸留酒研究所

36 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

如何正確儲存和飲用

為了享受喝日本酒的樂趣，盡量在進食時慢慢喝適量，不要一次喝完。不加重肝臟負擔的適量酒是 1 ~ 2 杯日本酒。最好每週讓肝休息1~2天後再觀察。與藥物一起服用是 N G，懷孕和斷奶期間避免飲酒。飲酒後不要洗澡或運動，也不要強迫別人。日本的酒精分解能力較弱，但芬蘭和瑞典等北歐國家往往具有強烈的功能。 2 杯酒的消化有個別差異，但分解 2 杯酒需要6~7小時。喝日本酒不會讓人發胖。日本酒的卡路里含量為100 ml酒為185 kcal，之所以發胖，是因為與酒一起吃下酒菜。此外，酒精可以冷卻，但日本酒卻不同。（酒精健康醫學會）

Find Us

s @Los Angeleke Meetup a Japanese s Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Bon Yagi

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Katsuya Uechi

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

TIC GROUP

Chairman Katsuya Group

Rick Smith & Hiroko Furukawa

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Beau Timken

Kats Miyazato

Honorary Sake Sommelier & Saka-Sho

Honorary Sake Sommelier

Owner “True Sake”

Owner of M&M Enterprise

Owner “SAKAYA NYC”

Logo Branding of Japanese Sake

Yuji Matsumoto

Master Sake Sommelier

David Kudo

Sake Sommelier Master Sake Sommelier

과 이미지는 애플컴퓨터 등과 같이 브랜 드 로고는 매우 기억되기 쉽습니다. 음 식도 마찬가지입니다. 그러면 일본술은 어떨까요? 만약 주변에 일본술을 알리는 광고가 있다면 쉽게 알 수 있겠지만, 우선 무엇이 브랜 드 로고인지 알기 어렵고, 심지어 없는 것도 많습니다. 주조 회사의 이름이 브 랜드인지, 상품명이 브랜드인지, 혹은 특정 명칭이 브랜드인지 구분이 가지 않 을 정도입니다.

이런 상황이라면 어렵게 소비자의 마음을 사로잡은 상품이 있더라도 차후 에 자사 상품의 구매나 브랜드 각인으로 이어지기 어렵습니다. 병의 색이나 크기 는 상품에 따라 변하더라도 브랜드 로고 는 가장 눈에 띄는 곳에 라벨링하는 것 이 중요합니다. 소비자의 마음을 움직이 게 하는 브랜드 이미지(로고)에 대해 검 토하는 것은 어떨까요?

일본술의 로고 브랜딩 로고는 그 회사의 상품을 상징하는 가장 중요한 상징입니다. 전 세계에 판 매 중인 상품을 살펴보면, 각 기업은 자 사의 로고를 어떻게 알리고, 소비자에게 각인시킬 것인지에 대해 이미지 전략을 쓰고 있는 것을 알 수 있습니다. 소비자 입장에서는 어느 제품이 든 시각적인 것이 먼저 눈에 들어오고, 문자나 설명은 별로 기억에 남지 않습 니다. 4개의 원은 아우디, H는 혼다, 사

38 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

Brewery Owner

Sake Sommelier and Others Kosuke Kuji

Teruyuki Kobayashi

Nanbu Bijin Inc. Fifth Generation Brewery Owner

Sake Samurai

Masato Kato

Akira Yuhara

Wismettac Asian Foods

Miyako Hybrid Hotel

Takao Matsukawa

Philip Harper

Latin Region Specialist Mutual Trading Co Inc.

Tamagawa Hand Made Japanese Sake Master Sake Brewer

Sake Sommelier

Mei HO

Keita Akaboshi

Sake Sommelier

Kuramoto US Inc.

True Sake

Michael John Simkin

Rachel Macalisang

Sake Sommelier

Mai Segawa

Don Lee

Advanced Sake Sommelier

MJS Sake Selection Owner

Sake Sommelier Yama Sushi Owner Chef

Tako Grill

Isao Kiyota

Shigeto Terasaka

Eda Vuong

International Kikisake-Shi

Sake Sommelier

Sake Sommelier Sake School of America

Academia de Sake Mexico Founder

Yoshihiro Sako

Sake Sommelier

Sake Ambassador

Yuzuki

Kurtis Wells Mixologist

Owner Japon Bistro

Kaz Tokuhara

Certified Sake Professional Level LL Young’s Market Company

Koji Wong

Sake and Wine Sommelier

Liloa Papa

Certified Wine & Sake Sommelier

Eduardo Dingler

Sake Sommelier

Miyuki Yoshida

Alice Hama

Sake Sommelier Sake Samurai

Hirohisa Kikuchi

Sake Sommelier

Chizuko Niikawa-Helto

Head of the “Regional Sake Tasting Club”

Taruhei Brewing Co Ltd.

Timothy Sullivan

President Japan Hollywood Network

Joe Mizuno

Stuart Morris Sake Sommelier

Hana Japanese Restaurant

Koji Aoto

Sake Sommelier

Toshiyuki Koizumi

Manager Wismettac Asian Foods

Savannah Distributing Co. Inc.

Owner “WASAN”

Gary Imada Sake Advisor

Sake Sommelier

Eiji Mori

Michael Russell

Katana Restaurant

Pacific International Liquor Inc

Sake Sommelier

Certified Sake Sommelier

Info All Japan News, Inc. Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

(213) 680-0011, AllJapanNews@gmail.com

Seasonal Sake Part 3: Freshly squeezed draft sake 일본 계절주③갓 짜낸 생주 by Kosuke Kuji

196

Kosuke Kuji

Fifth Generation Brewery Owner Nanbu Bijin, Inc.

일

본주의 계절을 대표하는 술을 소개하고 있는데 이번호는 겨 울의「갓 짜낸 생주」입니다. 겨울의 추운 시기, 일본에서는 데 운 술도 최고의 겨울 아이템인데, 일본 주 제조는 가을에 수확한 햅쌀로 담그 기 시작하므로, 그 새로운 술의 가장 먼 저 짜서 나온 것이 11월에서 12월 쯤 이 됩니다. 바로 그, 금년의 햅쌀로 담가 바로

40 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

나온 생주를 겨울의 계절한정상품으로 내는 곳이 많습니다. 신주라고 하면 신선한 향과 맛, 생 생하고 그 중에는 약간 모로미 가스를 품은 미세한 거품이 있기도 합니다. 12 월에서 3월정도 추운 시기에 즐길 수 있 는 겨울 계절한정주입니다. 아주 생생해서 흰살 생선회라든지, 육수를 듬뿍 우려낸 오뎅등과 즐기면 최 고의 맛이 됩니다.

또한, 갓 짜낸 생주는「원주」로 내 는 곳도 많아서, 원주 나름의 강한 맛도 즐길 수 있습니다. 바깥은 곳곳에 눈이 쌓이고, 집안 은 따뜻한 이와테에서는, 따뜻한 집안 에서 차게 한 시보리 타테 생주를 코타 츠에 들어가서, 뜨끈뜨끈한 냄비요리 와 함께 마시는 것이 최고의 겨울 즐거 움입니다.

日本酒百味百題

www.jfc.com

ake production cleverly uses the microbial functions of koji mold, yeast, etc. in various tasks. The sake production method was mostly established by the early Edo period (1603-1868) with basically

훌륭한 사케 150종류를 일본 전 국에서 수입 전 미국 네트워크를 통해서 여러 분에게 직송하고 있음 Yoshihide Murakami Master Sake Sommelier Liquor Manager JFC International Inc.

Sake Meter Value: +5 Polishing Rate: 70% (USDA Organic Rice)

Hakutsuru Organic Junmai Hakutsuru Sake Brewing (Hyogo)

Sake production process 일본주 제조 공정

no major change to date. Sake production generally consists of the following five processes. 1. Raw material preparation process Three steps are required to prepare steam rice: “rice milling,” “washing and soaking,” and “steaming.” Steamed rice is used in each of the following three processes: Koji making, yeast starter and mash preparation. 2. Koji preparation process The process to inoculate steamed rice with seed malt to prepare koji requires both traditional manual labor and mechanical production. Koji breaks down starch in steamed rice, and yeast generates sugar required to ferment alcohol. 3. Yeast starter preparation process Culture sake yeast only in large volumes to ferment alcohol as purely as possible inside a mixture of steamed rice, koji, and water. The sake yeast starter is also referred to as “moto.” Purely cultured sake yeast is generally used, while sake yeast strains that inhabit the sake brewery are also used in some cases. Lactic acid used to prevent bacterial contamination is most important in preparing sake yeast, placed by naturally increasing lactic acid bacteria (Kimoto-type sake yeast starter) or adding lactic acid during the preparation (Sokujo-type sake yeast starter). 4. Mash preparation process “Mash” is prepared by mixing steamed rice, koji mold, and water into the sake yeast starter in which alcohol ferments. One characteristic of sake production is not to add the ingredients (steamed rice, koji mold, and water) into the mash, but to add the ingredients in several stages to

Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamada Nishiki)

Tenbu Junmai Ginjo Nishi Shuzo (Kagoshima)

This article was courtesy from Shibata Shoten Co Ltd.

Sake Meter Value: +4 Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamadanishiki)

Mizubasho Ginjo Nagai Shuzo (Gunma)

propagate the sake yeast while gradually increasing the volume, referred to as “stage preparation.” Generally, the “three-stage preparation” is used to divide the preparation into three stages, while the “two-stage preparation” and “four-stage preparation” are also used in some cases. After fermentation, the mash is squeezed after a certain time, then divided into sake and sake lees. At this stage, unprocessed sake is high in alcohol content, approximately twenty percent in some cases. Distilled alcohol is added to sake other than Junmai sake before squeezing. 5. Filtration, pasteurization, and aging Refined sake is still cloudy after squeezing. After the sediments settle, cloudy sake is filtered and pasteurized, then stored. Storing the sake harmonizes the aroma and generates a unique sake flavor. Sake is finely filtered using activated carbon before adding some water to adjust the alcohol concentration (generally fifteen to sixteen percent), then bottled prior to shipment.■

누

룩 곰팡이나 효모 같은 미생물 을 효과적으로 이용하는 일본 주 제조는, 여러가지 작업으로 이루어진다. 그 제조법은 에도시대 초기 에 거의 완성되어 현재에도 기본적으로 는 크게 다르지 않다. 일반적으로 다음 의 5가지 공정으로 구성된다. 1、원재료 처리공정 쌀을 찌는 공정으로「쌀고르기」、「쌀씻 기・물에 담그기」、「찌기」3가지 공정을 거친다. 쌀찌기는 누룩공정, 주모공정, 모로미 공정으로 각각 이용된다. 2、누룩제조공정 찐쌀에 씨누룩을 접종하여 누룩을 만드

Sake Meter Value: +2 Polishing Rate: 60%

Fukuju Blue Junmai Ginjo Kobe Shushinkan (Hyogo)

는 공정으로, 오래된 수작업과 기계제조 법이 있다. 누룩은 찐쌀의 전분을 분해 시켜, 효모가 알코올 발효하는데 필요한 당분을 생성시킨다. 3、주모제조공정 알코올 발효를 하는 청주효모만을, 찐쌀 과 누룩, 물의 배합물 속에서 되도록 순 수에 가까운 상태로 대량 배양한다. 주 모는「모토」라고도 불린다. 일반적으로 순수 배양된 효모가 쓰이지만 양조장에 정착된 효모를 쓰는 경우도 있다. 유산 을 살려서 잡균의 오염을 얼마나 막느냐 가 주모 만들기의 최대 포인트로서, 유 산균을 자연증식시키는 전통적인 방법 ( 생원계주모)과, 술을 담글 때 유산을 첨 가하는 방법 (속양계주모)가 있다. 일반 적으로는 안전하고 조작도 간단한 속양 계주모가 사용된다. 4、모로미제조공정 주모에, 찐쌀, 누룩, 물을 배합한 것이「 모로미」이고, 이 속에서 알코올 발효가 이루어진다. 일본주 제조의 특징 중 하 나는 모로미 제조에서 원재료 (찐쌀, 누 룩, 물)를 한 번에 섞지 않고 여러 번에 나누어 섞어 효모를 증식시키면서 서서 히 양을 늘려가는 점으로 이것을「술빚 기」、「단빚기」또는「단계법」이라고 한 다. 일반적으로 3번에 나눠 빚는「삼단 빚기」가 쓰여지는데,「2단빚기」라든 지「4단빚기」로 만들어지는 경우도 있 다. 발효후, 일정 기간을 두고 모로미 를 뽑아, 청부와 주백으로 나눈다. 이 원 주의 단계에서 알코올 도수는 높은 것 은 20% 전후가 된다. 순미주 이외에 는 술을 짜낸 직전에 양조 알코올이 첨 가된다. 5、정제・저장・출하공정 바로 짜낸 청주는 탁한 상태이다. 이것 을 침전시킨후 여과시켜（찌꺼기 여과）、 가열살균（불피우기）한 후 저장한다. 저 장으로 향미가 좋아지고 일본주다운 맛 이난다.(숙성) 출하전에 활성탄으로 정 밀여과를 실시한 후 물을 더하여 적절한 알코올 농도 (일반은 15-16%)맞추어 병에 담는다.

Sake Meter Value: +10 Polishing Rate: 70%

Suijin Junmai Asabiraki (Iwate)

Sake Meter Value: +3 Polishing Rate: 70% (Yamadanishiki)

Ozeki Yamadanishiki Tokubetsu Junmai Ozeki Corporation (Hyogo)

일식 레스토랑 뉴스

Ryuji Takahashi

by Ryuji Takahashi

The very hectic month of December 정신없이 바쁜 12월

42 February 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

바

쁜 나날에 피폐해지는 12월이 지만, 쉬고있을 때가 아니라 정월까지 달려야 한다고 스스 로 채찍을 하고 있다. 그러던 중, 우선은 군마현 콘도주조의 매장판매회. 마침 갓 짜낸 신주가 나온 타이밍이었으므로, 신 주와 뉴욕 월드 와인 & 스피릿 컴피티 션에서 금상을 수상한 원심분리기를 사 용한 순미대음양의「쿠로비」를 중심으 로 2일간, 추운 날씨 속에서 판매를 했 다. 이 콘도주조,「적성산」이라는 브랜드 를 가지고 있고, 플래그쉽 상품은「적성 산・남자의 술 매운맛」이라는 본양조주 로서, 군마에서는 어디서든 살 수 있다 는 느낌의 술이다. 컨비니언 스토어 또 는 드럭스토어 등 생활에 밀착한 장소에 서 쉽게 살 수 있어서, 군마 본고장 소비 가 70-80퍼센트 정도인 점. 때문에 다른 지역에 계절 상품이나 특별주가 별로 나 오지 않는다. 도쿄에서도 본점과 직접거 래를 하는 것은 이 곳을 포함하여 2곳정 도 인듯하다. 이 매장에서는 군마출신 손님이 대량구매를 하는 정도이다. 첫째 날에는 판매회부터 저녁은 매장을 둘러 서 연회도 열어서, 일본주, 오디오, 자동 차 이야기로 분위기가 무르익었다. 다 음 주는 전에도 몇번 기사에 쓴「이태리 요리와 일본주의 저녁식사」라는 이벤트

를 시모키타자와의 이태리 음식점「카리 베테이」에서 개최. 세상에, 참가자가 최 고로 많은 사람수로, 식재료도 오말 새 우, 흰자, 송아지, 생굴등 호화로운 재료 의 요리가 즐비했다. 일본주도 과거 최 고 9종류를 2병씩 총 18병을 비웠다. 마 지막은 샴페인과 리조또가 함께하는 샴 판리조또. 모두가 손으로 뿜어내는 샴페 인 동영상과 사진을 카메라에 담고 있 었다. 결국, 지금까지 최고로 성공한 올 해 마지막 이태리요리 코라보이벤트였 다. 그 다음 주는 단골 안주와 당점이 준 비한 시간무제한 망년회 이벤트가 열려, 마지막의 28일은 니아카타현 금승주 조, 29일은 니아가타현 백로주조, 30일 은 효고현일본성의 점두판매회가 이어 진다. 그리고 1년중 가장 바쁜 섣달 그 믐날의 대판매회가 이어진다. 이 기사를 적고 있는 시기는 12월 중반이라서, 아 직 큰 문제도 없지만, 무사히 연중업무 를 끝마치고 싶은 기분이 가득하다. 이 미 2024년 이벤트나 출장예정도 정해 지기 시작한다. 아무튼 큰 사고나 병 없 이 무사히 1년 판매가 가능한 점과, 많 은 손님이 지원해 주셔서 1년이 잘 지나 간 점에 진심으로 감사하고 싶다. 2024 년도 일본주가 많은 사람에게 애용되기 를 기대한다.

JAPAN

Master Sake Sommelier Info All Japan News, Inc.

Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America (213) 680-0011 AllJapanNews@gmail.com

Yuji Matsumoto Master Sake Sommelier

Master Sake Sommelier

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Ami Nakanishi Master Sake Sommelier

Master Sake Sommelir

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Yoshihide Murakami Master Sake Sommelier

Master Sake Sommelier

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Ryuji Takahashi

Beverage Manager

Vice President Sake School of America

Vice President New York Mutual Trading, Inc.

Instructor Sake School of America

Liquor Manager JFC International Inc.

President, All Japan News

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Ask me ymatsumoto001@gmail.com info@sakeschoolofamerica.com info@sakeschoolofamerica.com info@sakeschoolofamerica.com

Master Sake Sommelier

Sake Shochu Beer Institute of America - The Growth Period of Japanese Sake-

일본주에 대한 철저한 지식을 바탕으로 사케 홍보대 사가 되기 위해 노력합니다 Best ways to store and enjoy sake Sake Shochu Spirits Institute of America

NPO法人米国酒焼酎蒸留酒研究所

적절한 보존방법과 마시는 법

일본주를 즐겁게 마시기 위해서는 먹으면 서 적정량을 천천히 마시도록 유의하면 원샷은 하지말 것. 간장에 부담을 주지 않는 술의 적정 량은 사케로 1-2홉. 이것을 지키면서 주에 1-2 일 음주를 쉬는 날을 정하는 것이 바람직하다. 약과 함께 마시는 것은 안 좋고 임신중, 이유기 의 음주도 피한다. 음주 후 목욕이나 과격한 운 동도 삼가는 게 좋으며 타인에게 무리하게 강요 하는 것도 좋지 않다. 일본인은 알코올 분해하는 기능이 약하지 만 핀란드, 스웨덴 등, 북유럽 국가는 강한 경향 이 있다. 사케 2홉은 소화하는데 개인차가 있지 만 사케 2홉 분해하는 데는 6-7시간이 걸린다. 일본주를 마셔도 살찌지 않는다. 일본주 칼로 리는 100ml에 185kcal로 살이 찌는 것은 술 과 함께 먹는 안주가 원인. 또 알코올은 몸을 차 게 하지만, 일본주는 다르다. (알코올 건강의학 협회)

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Sake de temporada ③ Sake de barril recién exprimido by Kosuke Kuji

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Kosuke Kuji

Fifth Generation Brewery Owner Nanbu Bijin, Inc.

stamos introduciendo un tipo sake que representa el sake de temporada, esta vez presentaremos el ‘’Nama recien exprimido’’de invierno. El sake caliente es delicioso durante la gélida temporada de invierno. La producción comienza con una nueva cosecha de arroz sake recogida en el otoño. El sake nuevo se exprime fresco por primera vez desde noviembre hasta diciembre.

y algunos incluso tienen una ligera efervescencia que hereda el gas de un sabor ligeramente amargo. Es una bebida de temporada de invierno que se puede disfrutar durante la estación fría de diciembre a marzo. Su sabor fresco es muy compatible con el sashimi de pescado blanco o el oden macerado en caldo dashi. Además, muchas destilerías de sake también lanzan “sake sin procesar”, rico y recién exprimido.

Muchas destilerías de sake lanzan sake nuevo recién exprimido a partir del arroz cosechado en ese año como sake de barril de edición limitada de invierno. Tiene un aroma y un sabor frescos propios del sake nuevo, y es juvenil,

En la prefectura de Iwate, donde nieva mucho, el sake frío y sin procesar se disfruta con una olla caliente colocada debajo del kotatsu (mesa japonesa con un calentador debajo), una de las mejores maneras de disfrutar la gélida temporada de invierno.

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日本 Proceso de la producción del sake 百味酒百題 www.jfc.com

150 tipos de sake delicioso Importado de todo Japón a través de una red nacional enviado directamente a usted Yoshihide Murakami Master Sake Sommelier Liquor Manager JFC International Inc.

Sake Meter Value: +5 Polishing Rate: 70% (USDA Organic Rice)

Hakutsuru Organic Junmai Hakutsuru Sake Brewing (Hyogo)

a producción del sake utiliza inteligentemente las funciones microbianas del moho koji, la levadura, etc. en diversas tareas. El método de producción de sake se estableció principalmente a principios del período Edo (1603-1868) y prácticamente no ha habido cambios importantes hasta la fecha. La producción de sake generalmente consta de los siguientes cinco procesos.

1. Proceso de preparación de materia prima Se requieren tres pasos para preparar arroz al vapor: "molido de arroz", "lavado y remojo" y "cocción al vapor". El arroz al vapor se utiliza en cada uno de los tres procesos siguientes: elaboración de koji, levadura inicial y preparación de puré. 2. Proceso de preparación de Koji El proceso de inocular arroz cocido al vapor con semillas de malta para preparar koji requiere tanto trabajo manual tradicional como producción mecánica. Koji descompone el almidón del arroz al vapor y la levadura genera el azúcar necesario para fermentar el alcohol.

Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamada Nishiki)

Tenbu Junmai Ginjo Nishi Shuzo (Kagoshima)

46 Febrero 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

Sake Meter Value: +4 Polishing Rate: 50% (Yamadanishiki)

Mizubasho Ginjo Nagai Shuzo (Gunma)

3. Proceso de preparación del iniciador de levadura Cultive la levadura de sake solo en grandes volúmenes para fermentar el alcohol de la manera más pura posible dentro de una mezcla de arroz al vapor, koji y agua. El iniciador de levadura de sake también se conoce como "moto". Generalmente se utiliza levadura de sake puramente cultivada, mientras que en algunos casos también se utilizan cepas de levadura de sake asentado en la destilería. El ácido láctico utilizado para prevenir la contaminación bacteriana es más importante en la preparación de la levadura de sake, ya que aumenta naturalmente las bacterias del ácido láctico (iniciador de levadura de sake tipo Kimoto) o agrega ácido láctico durante la preparación (iniciador de levadura de sake tipo Sokujo). 4. Proceso de preparación del puré El “puré” se prepara mezclando arroz al vapor, moho koji y agua con la levadura de sake en la que fermenta el alcohol. Una característica de la producción de sake no es agregar los ingredientes (arroz al vapor, moho koji y agua) al puré, sino agregar los ingredientes en varias etapas para propagar

Sake Meter Value: +2 Polishing Rate: 60%

Fukuju Blue Junmai Ginjo Kobe Shushinkan (Hyogo)

la levadura del sake mientras se aumenta gradualmente el volumen, lo que se conoce como “etapa de preparación”. Generalmente, la "preparación de tres etapas" se utiliza para dividirlos, mientras que en algunos casos también se utiliza la "preparación de dos etapas" y la "preparación de cuatro etapas". Después de la fermentación, el mosto se exprime después de un cierto tiempo y luego se divide en sake y heces de sake. En esta etapa, el sake sin procesar tiene un alto contenido de alcohol, aproximadamente el veinte por ciento en algunos casos. Se añade alcohol destilado a otros sake distintos del sake Junmai antes de exprimirlo. 5. Filtración, pasteurización y envejecimiento El sake refinado todavía está turbio después de exprimirlo. Una vez que los sedimentos se asientan, el sake turbio se filtra, se pasteuriza y luego se almacena. Almacenar el sake armoniza el aroma y genera un sabor único. El sake se filtra finamente usando carbón activado antes de agregar un poco de agua para ajustar la concentración de alcohol (generalmente entre quince y dieciséis por ciento) y luego se embotella antes del envío.

Sake Meter Value: +10 Polishing Rate: 70%

Suijin Junmai Asabiraki (Iwate)

Sake Meter Value: +3 Polishing Rate: 70% (Yamadanishiki)

Ozeki Yamadanishiki Tokubetsu Junmai Ozeki Corporation (Hyogo)

This article was courtesy from Shibata Shoten Co Ltd.

Ryuji Takahashi

by Ryuji Takahashi

El mes de diciembre muy agitado

igo esforzándome a pesar de sentirme exhausto durante el mes de diciembre, un mes ocupado y agitado sin posibilidad de descansar hasta el nuevo año. El primero en el programa es el evento para vender en la tienda de Kondo Brewery (Kondo Shuzo Co., Ltd.) en la prefectura de Gunma. Resulta que tenían sake nuevo recién exprimido, así que realicé el evento del nuevo sake y Junmai Ginjo “Kurobi” elaborado con un separador centrífugo, ganador del premio de oro durante el evento de Nueva York World Wine & Spirits Convention, las ventas en mostrador se llevaron a cabo durante dos días en un clima extremadamente frío. Kondo Brewery es el productor de la marca de sake "Akagiyama". Su producto estrella es el Honjozo “Akagiyama Dry”, aparentemente disponible en tiendas de conveniencia, farmacias y muchas tiendas que venden artículos de primera necesidad. Entre el setenta y el ochenta por ciento de este sake se consume localmente en la prefectura de Gunma, mientras que el sake especial y de temporada a menudo no se comercializa en otras prefecturas. En Tokio, sólo dos tiendas, incluida la mía, tratan directamente con la destilería. En nuestra tienda,

los clientes de la prefectura de Gunma compran este producto de sake al por mayor. El primer día del evento de ventas concluyó con un banquete nocturno en la destilería con animados debates sobre sake, audio y vehículos. La semana siguiente asistí a “Una velada de cocina italiana con sake” en el restaurante italiano “Karibe-tei”. Sorprendentemente, al evento asistió un número récord de invitados que se deleitaron con ingredientes gastronómicos de lujo como langosta, shirako (hueveras blandas), ternera y ostras frescas con dieciocho botellas de sake (nueve marcas diferentes de sake de

dos botellas cada una), el mayor número de botellas consumidas hasta la fecha. El plato final fue el burbujeante risotto con champán. Los invitados tomaron fotografías y videos del burbujeante risotto con champán. El último evento colaborativo del año dedicado a la cocina italiana finalizó con éxito. Fui anfitrión de la cena con estofado de fin de año, y aperitivos traídos por los invitados, fue el evento mas popular de todos los tiempos. La última semana consistió en tres eventos de ventas en las tiendas en Kanemasu Brewery en la prefectura de Niigata el día 28, Hakuro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. en la prefectura de Niigata el día 29 y Nihonsakari Co., Ltd. en

la prefectura de Hyogo el día 30. dando paso al evento de ventas de Nochevieja, el evento más concurrido del año. Estaba escribiendo este artículo a mediados de diciembre sin encontrar ningún problema importante. Me sentí apurado por terminar todo mi trabajo antes de fin de año, ya que tengo muchos eventos y viajes de negocios programados para 2024. Me siento profundamente agradecido por este año pasado que terminó sin ninguna lesión o enfermedad importante que afectara mi negocio, y por todos los muchos clientes que me apoyaron. Espero con ansias el año 2024 y que los fanáticos consuman mucho sake.

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NPO法人米国酒焼酎蒸留酒研究所

Las mejores formas de almacenar y disfrutar el sake Para disfrutar bebiendo sake, intente beber una cantidad adecuada lentamente mientras come y no lo beba todo de una vez. Una cantidad adecuada de alcohol que no suponga una carga para el hígado es de 1 a 2 tazas de sake. Se recomienda cumplir con esto y tomar uno o dos días a la semana para descansar el hígado. No consuma sake con medicamentos, durante el embarazo o durante el período de destete. Además, no tome un baño caliente ni haga ejercicio intenso después de beber sake, ni presione a otros para que lo consuman.

48 Febrero 2024 • www.alljapannews.com

Los japoneses tienen una capacidad limitada para descomponer el alcohol, mientras que los ciudadanos del norte de Europa en Finlandia y Suecia tienden a ser muy tolerantes al alcohol. Aunque existe una diferencia individual, dos tazas de sake normalmente se descomponen entre seis y siete horas. El sake no causa obesidad. El contenido calórico del sake es de 185 kcal por 100 ml. La obesidad por el consumo de sake es causada por los bocadillos que se disfrutan con éste, no por el sake en sí. Además, aunque el alcohol normalmente enfría el cuerpo, este no es el caso del sake (según la Asociación de Salud y Medicina del Alcohol).