Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

A significant promotional group for Awasake was launched. On January 28, Japan Awasake Association was a historic day where approximately 30 members from the Liberal Democratic Party Parliament members gathered to launch the “Awasake Revitalization Group.” House of Representative member Toshiaki Endo from Yamagata Prefecture assumed the position of Chairman, while Yuko Obuchi of Gunma prefecture assumed the position of Secretary. Japan Awasake Association is striving to serve Awasake as the toast during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Therefore, this foundation party was attended by Yoshio Mori of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee Yoshiro Mori, who presented a congratulatory message, which made this dream closer to reality. Also, the committee chairman Yoshiro Mori also became an honorary chairman of the parliament as well.
Also, the launch party was attended by members from the National Tax Agency, public offices, and representatives from the sake industry, expressing support for Awasake.
Still a new Japanese sake genre among both public and private organizations, high anticipation for this sake to become widespread was felt among attending members.
Japan Awasake Association chairman Noriyoshi Nagai greeted guests and expressed his resolve to enhance the quality of Awasake to increase export to levels comparable to champagne and wine to promote widespread consumption throughout Japan and win worldwide brand recognition.
Thanks to support from many attendees, Japan Awasake Association will continue to strive to become the chosen beverage for toasts worldwide. Thank you in advance for your support !


酒豪大陸「awa酒振興議連発足」

awa酒に最高の応援団が発足しました。2020年1月28日、awa酒協会にとって歴史的な日になりました。自民党の国会議員の皆さんが約30名集まり、「awa酒振興議連」を発足していただきました。衆議院議員の山形県の遠藤利明先生が会長に就任され、幹事長には群馬県の小渕優子先生という布陣です。awa酒協会は東京オリンピック・パラリンピックで乾杯酒を目指していますが、今回の設立総会には元総理でもある森 喜朗東京オリンピック・パラリンピック組織委員会会長も臨席していただき、応援メッセージをいただき、awa酒で東京オリンピック・パラリンピックの乾杯酒に現実味がかなり出てきました。さらにこの議連の名誉会長にも就任していただきました。
さらに発足総会には国税庁をはじめ、たくさんの官公庁の要職につく皆さん、日本酒関連の事業を担当する方々が参加してくれて、awa酒への支援表明をしていただきました。
まさに官民連携でこれから日本酒の新ジャンルであり、成長を大きく見込めるawa酒に期待をしてくれている事をひしひしと感じました。
awa酒協会の永井則吉理事長はあいさつで、シャンパンやワインの輸出数量に追いつくように品質を高めてブランド化し、多くの日本中、そして世界中の方々に認知してもらえるようにawa酒を育てて行くと決意表明しました。
たくさんの方々の応援をいただき、awa酒協会はこれからも世界の乾杯酒を目指し頑張っていきますので、応援をどうぞよろしくお願いします！　

Before Honkaku (original) Wine took root in Japan in the past, people were drinking wine coolers or sweet port wines. Same with shochu, people in Japan were drinking 'Chu-Hi' or other shuchu cocktails before the boom of Honkaku Shochu.

It is a similar situation like it was in past Japan here in the U.S. now with people preferring to have Nigori sake, sparkling sakes or cocktails. There are probably quite a few of us Japanese in the business that have just happened to forget about their past and feel that it is not proper to drink Japanese sake cocktails etc.

Examples of Japanese sake or shochu cocktails listed below are not only recommended for someone who doesn't care for sake or shochu but also should be tried by people who like drinking the original Japanese sake or shochu.


* Sake Sangria made with sake and shochu : soaked with orange, apple and lime

*Mojito that uses sake and shochu: add yuzu (tangerine type fruit; Citrus juno) juice instead of lime

*Nigori sake cocktail : goes well with peach or mango syrup

*Martini made with sake and shochu

*Bloody Mary mixed with shochu and ponzu (a bitter or sour orange-based sauce) : use shichimi togarashi (mixture of cayenne pepper with other spices) as an added accent


Most of the many cocktails made with vodka can be made with shochu. For the finishing touch, we suggest that you add a little Japanese or Asian style flavor (yuzu or lychee) to make it exciting.


 
日本酒・焼酎カクテル

過去日本でも本格ワインが定着する前、ワインクーラーや甘いポートワインが飲まれていた。焼酎でも同じだが、本格焼酎のブームの前はチューハイやその他の焼酎カクテルが日本で飲まれていた。
現在アメリカは過去の日本のこの時期と似ており、にごり酒や発砲日本酒、カクテルの方が受け入れられている。我々日本人はつい過去の自分を忘れ、日本酒カクテルなどは邪道と思っている業界の人間も少なくないだろう。
下記にあげる日本酒・焼酎カクテル例は、酒や焼酎を苦手とする人にもお勧めしたいし、本格的な日本酒や焼酎を飲む方にもぜひ試していただきたい。

＊日本酒と焼酎で作った酒サングリア：オレンジ、リンゴ、ライムを漬け込む
＊日本酒と焼酎を利用したモヒート：ライムの代わりに柚子果汁を入れる
＊にごり酒カクテル：ピーチやマンゴのシロップと相性が良い
＊日本酒と焼酎で作るマティーニ
＊焼酎とポン酢を混ぜたブラディーメリー：タバスコの代わりに七味唐辛子でアクセント付け

などなど。ウォッカで作れる多くのカクテルは大体焼酎で作ることが可能である。後は、ちょっとした日本やアジア的フレーバー（柚子やライチ）を追加してあげると面白い。


 
清酒和日本燒酒雞尾酒

以前，即使在日本，在純正葡萄酒紮根之前，已經常喝wine cooler和甜波特酒。日本燒酒也是如此，在純正日本燒酒興盛之前，日本就已經開始喝日式highball和其他日本燒酒雞尾酒。
現在的美國與過去那個時期的日本相似，濁酒、發泡清酒和雞尾酒等更受人歡迎。我等日本人終究忘記了過去的自己，我想許多業內人士認為清酒雞尾酒等是不入流的。
不論是不擅長喝酒、日本燒酒等的人；或是會喝純正清酒和日本燒酒等的人，都建議嘗試以下清酒和日本燒酒雞尾酒的例子。

*用清酒和日本燒酒製成的桑格利亞酒：放入橙，蘋果和萊姆
*加入清酒和日本燒酒的莫吉托：加入柚子汁代替萊姆
*濁酒雞尾酒：適宜搭配桃或芒果等的糖漿
*用清酒和日本燒酒製成的馬丁尼酒
*混合日本燒酒和柚子醋的血腥瑪麗：以七味粉代替塔巴斯科辣椒醬作調味

等等。為數眾多用伏特加製成的雞尾酒基本上都可以用日本燒酒製成。此後，添加少許日本或亞洲風味（柚子或荔枝）亦很有趣。


 
일본술 및 소주로 즐기는 칵테일

예전에 일본에서도 정통 와인이 정착하기 전에 와인쿨러나 달콤한 포트 와인을 즐기던 때가 있었다. 소주도 비슷한데, 정통 소주 붐이 일어나기 전에는 츄하이와 다른 소주 칵테일이 일본에서 인기였다.
현재 미국은 예전에 일본의 이러한 시기와 비슷해서, 탁주와 일본 발포주, 칵테일이 인기이다. 일본인은 이러한 예전의 자신을 잊고 일본술 칵테일 등은 진정한 술이 아니라고 생각하는 업계 종사자들도 적지 않을 것이다.
아래에 소개한 일본술 및 소주로 즐기는 칵테일 메뉴는 일본술이나 소주를 못 마시는 분들에게도 추천하고 싶고, 정통 일본술과 소주를 즐기는 분들도 꼭 맛보길 바란다.

* 일본술과 소주로 만든 술 상그리아 : 오렌지, 사과, 라임을 담근다.
* 일본술과 소주를 이용한 모히토 : 라임 대신 유자 과즙을 넣는다.
* 탁주 칵테일 : 복숭아나 망고 시럽과 잘 어울린다.
* 일본술과 소주로 만드는 마티니
* 소주와 새콤한 폰즈 식초를 섞은 블러디메리 : 타바스코 대신 고춧가루 향신료로 악센트를 준다.

등 다양하다. 보드카로 만들 수 있는 대부분의 칵테일은 거의 소주로 만들 수 있다. 마무리로 일본이나 동양적인 맛(유자나 리치)을 살짝 추가하면 색다른 맛과 향을 즐길 수 있다.

What kind of sake is "awa sake"? Not all sparkling Japanese sake can be referred to as "awa sake", but only those 'certified' by the Japan Awasake Association are referred to as awa sake. An external research institute entrusted by the association certifies awa sake.

"Awa sake" is defined as:
1. Japanese sake produced from rice *1 and rice malt,
2. Sake produced using 100% domestic Japanese rice, ranked as grade 3 or above by the Agricultural Produce Inspection Law,
3. Sake using only naturally produced carbon dioxide while brewing *2,
4. Clear sake, forming a line of foam when poured into a container after opening the bottle,
5. Alcohol content is 10 percent or above,
6. Gas pressure is 3.5 bars or higher at 20°C *2 (0.35 MPa)

*1 No regulations stipulated pertaining to Junmai or rice polishing ratio
*2 Quality standards for secondary fermentation inside the tank or bottle are stipulated as follows:
1.) Stable aroma and quality at room temperature for 3 months or longer, and pasteurized.
2.) Carbon dioxide excluding gas used to replace the gas inside a pipe or container.
Only sake that meets these requirements qualifies to display the "awa sake" label and sold as awa sake.

In summary, awa sake is clear sake produced inside the bottle by secondary fermentation with high gas pressure similar to champagne, produced only from rice, water, and rice malt, then pasteurized.
Comparable to champagne, produced as sake to toast with worldwide, awa sake is highly recognized in contests since the association was founded in 2017.


「日本酒の新スパークリング【awa酒】とは　その3」

「awa酒」とはどんなお酒なのか。日本酒のスパークリングなら何でも「awa酒」と言えるわけではありません。協会が正式に「認定」をしなければ「awa酒」とはいう事が出来ません。認定は協会が委託する外部の研究機関により認定されます。
「awa酒」の定義は
1. 米※1、米こうじ及び水のみを使用し、日本酒であること
2. 国産米を100%使用し、かつ農産物検査法により3等以上に格付けされた米を原料とするものであること
3. 醸造中の自然発酵による炭酸ガスのみを保有していること※2
4. 外観は視覚的に透明であり、抜栓後容器に注いだ時に一筋泡を生じること
5. アルコール分は、10度以上であること
6. ガス圧は 20°Cで 3.5バール※2(0.35メガパスカル)以上であること
※1 純米であることや精米歩合については規定しない
※2 二次発酵についてはタンク内でも瓶内でも規定内とする
品質基準は以下の通りとします。
1.) 常温で3ヶ月以上、香味、品質が安定していること。また火入れ殺菌を行うこと
2.) 炭酸ガスは、配管及び容器内のガス置換の目的で使用するものを除く
となっています。これらの基準を満たすものだけが「awa酒」のシールを張って「awa酒」という名前で販売が出来るのです。
まとめると、瓶内二次発酵で透明、シャンパン並みの高いガス圧を持ち、米と水と米麹だけで仕込み火入れ殺菌したスパークリングとなります。
シャンパンにも負けない、世界の乾杯酒を目指して出来上がったawa酒、このawa酒が協会設立の次年度2017年からコンテストで大いに評価されていきます。

In this issue, I’d like to pass on to our readers a trick that enhances one’s abilities to pair sake with food.
First, please select three brands of sake with very different properties. The differences in properties are hard to tell without drinking the sake, but first, let’s select the sake according to the information listed on each label.
For example, please select a Junmai Daiginjo, Tokubestu Junmai, and Junmai Kimoto, all produced in different regions like Akita, Niigata, and Hyogo prefectures, etc. Sake produced in the U.S. are reasonably priced, for including a few of these brands in the mix may also be fun.
Once we have the sake, please grab some wine glasses (white wine glasses are better). Please be sure to use the same shaped glass for each of the three sake brands. It’s best to store the glasses in the refrigerator for approximately 3 hours and to maintain their temperature at 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
And now, for the cuisine. Those who have time can prepare the food yourself, of course. However, I recommend takeout for those who want to compare the sake with many dishes from various types of cuisine. There’s no need to stick with Japanese cuisine, for it’s fun to also pair sake with Chinese and Italian (please avoid excessively spicy or strong garlic-flavored dishes) cuisines.
Please be careful to compare the balance between the sake and the food upon consumption, the changes detected in the umami flavors, and any changes in the aroma particular to that food, and aftertaste. If these factors in the pairing are satisfying, then it’s safe to say the pairing was a “success.”


日本酒と食のペアリング

今回は、ちょっとした心がけで日本酒と料理のペアリング能力が上がるコツを教えたい。
まずは、なるべく性質の違う日本酒3銘柄を用意していただきたい。性質の違いは、本当は飲んでみないとなかなか分かりにくいが、とりあえずはラベルで判断できる情報で選んでみる。
たとえば、純米大吟醸、特別純米、純米生酛で全く違う産地のものを見つけてみる。秋田、新潟、兵庫など。米国産の日本酒も手軽な価格なのでこれらも入れると面白い。
日本酒が揃ったら今度は、ワイングラス（白ワイングラスがベター）を用意する。
3銘柄の酒は必ず同じ形状のグラスを使うこと。その際、3時間くらい冷蔵庫に保存し、55度Fくらいになるようにしておく。
さて料理だが、時間のある人は料理を自分で作ってもいいし、違う種類のものを複数食べ比較したい場合はテイクアウトを勧める。何も日本食に限らず、たとえば、中華、イタリアンなど（あまりスパイシーなものやニンニクの強いものは避ける）で試すのも面白い。
注意する点は、日本酒を飲んだ時の料理との調和、旨みの変化、その食特有の臭さの変化、後味だ。これらが心地よければペアリングは、「良い」こととなる。

 
清酒與食物的襯托

這次，希望能傳授「如何只花少許心思就能提高清酒與料理的襯托能力」的竅門。
首先，準備三款具有不同特性的清酒品牌，其特性差異越多越好。雖然若非實際試飲，很難理解其特性差異；但首先請嘗試透過可在標籤上確定到的信息來選擇。
例如，嘗試尋找產地全異的純米大吟釀、特殊純米酒和純米生酛酒。秋田、新潟、兵庫等。美國製造的清酒價格相對便宜，因此添加它們亦有趣味。
收集好清酒後，準備酒杯（以白葡萄酒杯為佳）。
請務必對該三款品牌的清酒使用相同形狀的玻璃杯。此時，將其存放在冰箱內3個小時左右，使其溫度到達55°F左右。
接下來是料理部分。如果有時間可以自行製作；如果想嘗試多種食物並進行比較，建議外賣。不僅日本料理，亦可嘗試中式、意式料理等（但請避免調味料太重或蒜味太濃的食物），亦別有一番趣味。
需多加注意的是喝清酒時與料理的調和、味道的變化、食物特有氣味的變化以及其餘味。如果這些都令你感覺舒適，此一配對便能稱為「好」。

 
니혼슈(일본술)와 음식의 페어링

오늘은 니혼슈와 음식의 페어링 실력이 좋아지는 방법에 대해 소개하고자 합니다.
먼저 되도록 성질이 서로 다른 니혼슈 3종을 준비합니다. 사실, 성질의 차이는 마셔봐야 알 수 있지만 우선 라벨에서 확인할 수 있는 정보를 바탕으로 선택해 봅니다.
예를 들어, 준마이 다이긴죠(純米大吟醸), 도쿠베츠 준마이(特別純米), 준마이 기모토(純米生酛) 등 원산지가 전혀 다른 것들로 찾아봅니다. 아키타, 니가타, 효고 등이 있을 수 있습니다. 미국산 니혼슈도 가격이 저렴하기 때문에 비교해보면 재미있습니다.
니혼슈가 준비되면 와인잔 (화이트 와인잔을 추천)을 준비합니다.
3종의 술은 반드시 동일한 형상의 와인잔을 사용할 것. 이때 3 시간 정도 냉장고에 보관하여 약 55°F로 차게 해둡니다.
요리는 시간에 여유가 있는 경우, 직접 만드는 것도 좋으나 여러 종류의 음식을 먹어보고 비교하기 위해서는 테이크아웃을 권합니다. 일식뿐만 아니라 중식, 이탈리안 등 (너무 맵거나 마늘 맛이 강한 음식은 피하도록 한다)으로 시도해보는 것도 재미있습니다.
이때 주의해야 할 점은 니혼슈를 마셨을 때 음식과의 조화, 맛의 변화, 음식 특유의 냄새 변화, 뒷맛 등입니다. 이러한 점이 음식과 함께 했을 때 좋았다면 페어링하기 ‘좋다’고 표현할 수 있습니다.

President Nagai of sake brewery “Mizbasho” in Gunma prefecture developed a production method inspired by champagne that produces new sparkling Japanese sake by secondary fermentation inside the bottle, producing clear sake that is then pasteurized. Nagai acquired a patent for this production method combined with traditional Japanese sake production techniques in 2008.
Selling sparkling sake under the product name Mizbasho “PURE,” President Nagai was working hard on his clear, sparkling Japanese sake similar to champagne commonly toasted with - produced by secondary fermentation inside the bottle and pasteurized for worldwide transportation - as his next step to enter the global market.
However, blazing the trail alone to develop this new sake genre poses many challenges. Rather than facing these challenges alone, Nagai dreamed of recruiting members and forming a large team to develop his sparkling sake together, to introduce this new sparkling sake for the world to toast with.
Therefore, I was called upon as a long-time friend of the same age, also pursuing the same goal to expand overseas. Since I shared the same ambition, we collaborated together and produced the new Japanese sparkling sake “Awa Sake,” and founded the “Japan Awa Sake Association” in November 2016 to distribute this product.
Currently, our association consists of twenty-one sake breweries, each working on various projects to introduce and distribute our new sparkling Japanese sake both domestically and abroad.
Our next issue will describe the characteristics, etc., of “Awa Sake” in greater detail.

「日本酒の新スパークリング【awa酒】とは　その2」

群馬県「水芭蕉」蔵元の永井社長は、瓶内二次発酵で透明そして火入れが出来る日本酒の新スパークリングの製造方法をシャンパーニュに学び、日本酒の伝統技術と融合させて、2008年に製造方法特許を取得していました。
水芭蕉「PURE」というスパークリングを発売していましたが、永井社長も私と同じく世界に挑戦をしていく上で、乾杯の日本酒をシャンパンのような瓶内二次発酵で透明、そして火入れすることで世界中に持って行けるものにしなければいけないと考えて自ら必死に頑張ってきました。
しかし、たった一人でそのジャンルを開拓するのは大変で、このような新スパークリングを自分一人でやるよりも、仲間を募って、多くの仲間でこのスパークリングをつくり、世界の乾杯酒を目指したい、という強い想いを持っていました。
そこで、同じ年で昔から親交もあり、海外への挑戦を同じくやっている私に声がかかり、私も同じ思いを持っていたことから、日本酒の新スパークリング「awa酒」を造り、普及する団体「一般社団法人awa酒協会」を2016年11月に設立しました。
現在では21の蔵元が加盟し、様々な事業を通して日本国内、そして海外で日本酒の新スパークリングの普及に努めています。
それでは、この「awa酒」とはいったいどんなお酒なのか、次回説明いたします。

By Yuji Matsumoto

Even if it is good tasting, if you're not able to relay that, customers will not try it. Also, if the timing to relay the information and contents are not sufficient, this will not lead to sales. We like to talk about how we can relay the appeal of sake to customers with the right timing and ideal content that will lead to sales.

Who are we relaying the information to?
Are you providing sufficient training separately for chefs, servers, and bartenders? Just by giving a little taste, there is absolutely no way you can explain the fineness of sake to customers. You need to make them thoroughly understand why a particular sake is delicious. Also, you can only understand 10% of the fineness of the sake if you drink it as a single item, so you definitely need to make them try the sake with the right dish.

Timing
We certainly feel that instead of a server asking "What would you like to have?" when taking a drink order from a customer, change it to "How would you like a cold, very delicious glass of sake?" It will make a big difference when you ask this.

Content we are relaying

For example, "Would you like to try AAA brand of Niigata which is dry and refreshing?" or
"Would you like to try BBB brand of Akita which has the fullness that goes well with teriyaki etc?" etc, to think of sales talk that is easy for customers to understand and to make them want to try.


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顧客に日本酒の素晴らしさを伝える

どんな美味しいものでも、それを伝えなければ顧客は試さない。また、その情報を伝達するタイミングや内容が適切でなければ、これも販売につながらない。では、どのようなタイミングで適切に日本酒の魅力を顧客に伝え、販売につなげるかを考えてみたい。

伝える人は誰なのか
板前、サーバー、バーテンダーなりに適切なトレーニングをしているか。単に少し飲ませただけでは、絶対に日本酒の良さを顧客に説明できないはず。なぜ、この酒は、美味しいのかをしっかりと勉強させること。また、単独で飲んだだけでは、一割もその酒の良さが理解できないので、必ず料理と合わせ試飲をさせること。

タイミング
やはり、サーバーがドリンクオーダーを取る時に顧客に「お飲み物をいかがいたしましょうか？」という一言を、「冷えたとても美味しい日本酒は、いかがですか」と変えてみること。この一言で大きな違いが生まれる。

伝える内容
たとえば、ドライですっきりしていてとてもスシに合う新潟のAAA銘柄はいかがでしょうか？または、照り焼きなどに合うボディーがある秋田のBBB銘柄はいかがでしょうか？など、お客に分かりやすく、トライしてみたくなるセールストークを考える。

 
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向顧客傳達清酒的美妙

即使是何等的美酒，如果顧客不獲知悉，就不會嘗試。而且，如果傳達信息的時機和內容並不合適，亦不能成功作出銷售。那麼，請思考一下在甚麼時機適切地為顧客傳達清酒的魅力會帶來成功的銷售。

由誰傳達
是否以「板前(日式料理廚師)」、服務員或調酒師身份進行了適當的培訓？單純提供試飲，並無法向顧客解釋清酒的優點。請確保顧客已清楚了解這種酒為何美味。另外，單獨喝酒，即使是酒的一成優點亦無法理解；故請配合料理提供試飲。

時機
當服務員聽取飲料訂單時，嘗試將詢問顧客的問題由「請問已決定好飲料了嗎？」更改為「請問要嘗試一下冰涼可口的清酒嗎？」。這句話將會引發重大變化。

傳達內容
考慮一些易於令客戶理解和嘗試的銷售談話。例如「要嘗試干型，與壽司非常匹配的新潟市AAA品牌嗎？」或是「要嘗試酒體飽滿，與照燒等非常匹配的秋田BBB品牌嗎？」等。

 
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고객에게 니혼슈(일본술)의 훌륭함을 전하다

아무리 좋은 것이라도 알리지 않는다면 고객은 시도하지 않습니다. 게다가 그 정보를 전달하는 타이밍과 내용이 적절하지 않다면 판매로 이어지지 않습니다. 그렇다면 어떤 타이밍에 적절하게 니혼슈(일본술)의 매력을 고객에게 전달하여 판매로 연결해나가는 게 좋을지 생각해봅시다.

정보를 전달하는 사람은 누구인가
전문 셰프, 서버, 바텐더, 각각 적절한 교육이 이루어지고 있는지 체크해봅시다. 단순히 한 두 모금 마신 경험 가지고는 절대로 니혼슈의 매력을 고객에게 설명할 수 없을 것입니다. 이 술이 왜 맛있는지를 정확하게 공부시킬 것. 또한 술만 마셔서는 그 술의 장점을 전혀 이해할 수 없으므로 반드시 음식과 함께 시음하게 할 것.

타이밍
서버가 주문을 받을 때 고객에게 하는 "술은 어떻게 하시겠습니까?" 이 한마디를 "정말 맛있는 시원한 니혼슈 한잔 어떻습니까?”로 바꿔 볼 것. 이 한마디로 인해 큰 변화가 생길 것입니다.

고객에게 전달할 내용
예를 들어, 드라이하고 깔끔한 맛이 있어 초밥과 아주 잘 어울리는 니가타AAA 등급은 어떻습니까? 또는 구이요리에 잘 어울리는 바디감 있는 아키타 BBB는 어떻습니까? 등등 고객이 이해하기 쉽고 시도해보고 싶어할 만한 세일즈 토크를 고안해보면 좋을 것입니다.

By Kosuke Kuji

Sparkling sake in Japan is broadly divided into 2 main types.
The first type is “bottled sparkling sake clouded by secondary fermentation.”
The other type is “clear sparkling sake with added gas,” the common and delicious, long-established type sold in Japan.
However, looking outward to the world, sparkling alcohol consist mostly of “clear bottled alcohol by secondary fermentation” with French champagne as the most common of brands.
Clear bottled alcohol by secondary fermentation is higher in value than clear sake with added gas, with the clear sake showcasing beautiful bubbles.
To introduce Japanese sake and compete on the world stage, I foresaw over 20 years ago that champagne would become the beverage to ‘toast’ with, to be followed by white wine according to the world standard.
To get non-Japanese nationals to taste Japanese sake in this setting, I was convinced that Japanese sake had to be the first beverage served. However, although toasting with sake is normal in Japan, non-Japanese nationals typically toast to “sparkling” alcoholic beverage, which I knew would be difficult to achieve with the two types of sake described above. That was when I received a call from Noriyoshi Nagai, President of the sake brewery “Mizubasho” in Gunma prefecture.


「日本酒の新スパークリング【awa酒】とは」その１

日本酒のスパークリングと言えば、日本では大きく分けて2つのタイプになります。
1つは「瓶内二次発酵で濁っている生酒」タイプ。
もう1つは「ガスを添加するもので透明」タイプ。
これらは昔から日本の中で日本人に愛されてきた、日本では当たり前で素晴らしいスパークリング日本酒です。
しかし、世界に目を向けてみると、スパークリングのアルコールと言えば、フランスのシャンパンを筆頭に「瓶内二次発酵（ガスを添加しない）で透明」なものがほとんどです。
瓶内二次発酵のスパークリングはガス添加のものよりも価値が高く、透明なのはその美しい泡を見せるために必須です。
私は20年以上前から世界に日本酒で挑戦していく時に、どうしても「乾杯」のお酒がシャンパンになると、次に日本酒を飲むことがなかなか難しい事を体験的にとても感じていました。
シャンパンを飲むと、その次はやはり普通に白ワインになってしまいますし、それが世界のスタンダードです。
そんな中で、どうしても日本酒をノンジャパニーズの方々に飲んでもらうには、スタートのお酒を日本酒にしなければいけないと考えていました。しかし、日本ではスティルの日本酒で乾杯する事が当たり前ですが、海外のノンジャパニーズの皆さんはやはり「泡」で乾杯するのが普通で、その日本酒が上記の2つのタイプでは難しい事も実感していました。
そんな中、群馬県の「水芭蕉」蔵元の永井社長から声がかかりました。

By Aya Ota

There is a clean and pure-looking restaurant, located on a corner of the Union Square/Greenwich Village District, which makes you feel like stopping by. As you step into the place, absorbed and sucked in by the warm light overflowing from inside, an art nouveau style elegant space unfolds in front of you. You don’t feel any Japanese elements from either its exterior or interior, but here at “Pâtisserie Fouet”, you can enjoy French sweets and desserts accentuated with Japanese ingredients such as yuzu, sesame, and green tea.
This restaurant’s specialty is its rich menu that changes depending on the time of the day. After 11 a.m. is the Savory, which consists of sandwiches, salad, soup, Tapas dishes, etc., between 12 and 4 p.m. is Afternoon Tea, and after 4p.m. is prefixed dessert tasting. In the evening, you can enjoy meals and bar drinks. There are 4 peak times a day. You can order patisseries all day, and can also take them out.
What especially needs to be paid attention to, is the paring of dessert tasting and alcoholic beverages. You choose 1 out of the prefixed main 3 desserts of your choice, and pair it with Japanese sake, shochu, Japanese whiskey, wine, etc. as an option. “Yuzu Sugar Sugar” is a visually gorgeous item. You crack the globe made of sugar to reveal a refreshing sour yuzu mousse. “Green Tea Souffle” is eaten hot-out-of-the-oven with cold ice cream. An excellent harmony is created with the mild-bitterness of the green tea, sweetness of the vanilla ice cream, and sourness of the strawberry sauce. Flavors becomes enhanced when these delicately flavored desserts are paired with Japanese sake or shochu, which brings the goodness out of each other. 50% of the pastries are gluten-free, and there are many vegan items, which are very well received by highly health-conscious New Yorkers. All the sauces and ice creams are made in-house, which is reflected on the name of the restaurant (Fouet means a whisk). Their signature items are the souffle items. New flavors reflected upon each season; coconut, passion fruit, white sesame, etc., appear every month.
The Savory menu is also worth paying attention to. The tapas menu had existed since the opening, but from August of this year, they added more voluminous items such as beef stew, and hard liquor such as Japanese whiskey and shochu, to enrich the menu. Since then, more customers started to come to enjoy the place also as a restaurant or a bar, which has been contributing to the growing sales of the Savory and Alcohol beverages division.

“I had a long dream of having a kind of place where you can casually drop by to have a light meal with a glass of wine, and finish with souffle,” says Yoshie Shirakawa, partner/executive chef. She came to the US in 2008 as the executive chef, when a Japanese confectionery/cooking school came to New York to open a café. After the café closed, she launched her own business, selling whole-sale pastries, working at restaurants and cafes to brush up her skills. She is a well-rounded expert pâtisserie with a total of 28 years of experience both in Japan and the US. She said that she met a Taiwanese owner who runs sushi kappo and udon restaurants a few year ago, which triggered the opening of “Pâtisserie Fouet”.
It has been a little over a year since its opening. In the meantime, she had applied a trial and error process many times to hours of operation, menu structuring etc., and finally settled with the current form. I think you can hardly ever find a place where you can have various enjoyment in various times of the day without sticking to the image of “Pâtisserie”. They say that they want to further enhance the area of Japanese sake, shochu, and Japanese whiskey selections. I look forward to seeing their future changes.

デザートと酒のペアリングをお洒落に楽しむ

ユニオン・スクエア/グリニッジ・ビレッジ地区の一角に、ふと足を止めたくなる清楚な佇まいの店がある。中から漏れる暖かい光に吸い寄せられるように足を踏み入れると、アールヌーボー調の優雅な空間が広がる。外観や内装からは一切、日本的な要素は感じられないが、ここ『Patisserie Fouet』では、柚や胡麻、緑茶などの和食材をアクセント使ったフレンチ菓子やデザートを楽しむことができる。
同店の特徴は、時間帯で変化していくメニューの豊富さ。午前11時以降にはサンドイッチやサラダ、スープ、タパス料理などのセイボリー、午後12〜4時にはアフタヌーンティー、午後4時以降はプリフィックスのデザート・テイスティング、夜には食事やバーを楽しめ、1日に4回もピークが来るという。パティスリー類は終日注文できるほか、お持ち帰りも可能だ。
　特に注目は、デザート・テイスティングとアルコール類のペアリング。3品のデザートで構成されるプリフィックスで、メインのデザートを自由に選び、オプションで日本酒や焼酎、日本産ウィスキーやワインなどを合わせることができる。『柚シュガー・シュガー』は、砂糖で作られた球体を割ると、爽やかな酸味がきいた柚ムースが現れる、見た目にも華やかな一品。『緑茶のスフレ』 は、焼きたてのスフレに冷たいアイスクリームを合わせて食べる一品。緑茶のほろ苦さとバニラ・アイスクリームの甘さ、イチゴソースの酸味の調和が見事だ。これらの繊細な風味デザートに日本酒や焼酎を合わせると、お互いの風味を引き立て、格別の味わいとなる。ペイストリーの約50％はグルテンフリーで、ヴィーガンのアイテムも数多く取りそろえ、健康意識の高いニューヨークの客にも好評だ。また、ソースやアイスクリームなど、すべて店内で手作りしており、そのこだわりが店名の『Fouet（泡立て器）』に込められている。同店のシグニチャーはスフレで、ココナッツやパッションフルーツ、白胡麻など、季節の食材を活かした新フレーバーが毎月のように登場する。
　セイボリー・メニューも注目に値する。開店当初からタパス・メニューは揃えていたが、この8月頃から、新しくビーフシチューなどボリュームのあるメニューを充実させ、日本産ウィスキーや焼酎などのハードリカーを揃えたところだ。以来、レストランやバーとして利用する客が増え、セイボリー部門やアルコール部門の売上は順調に伸びているという。
「気軽に立ち寄って、ワイン1杯飲みながら軽く食事をつまんで、最後はスフレでしめる…という店を作りたいと、長年夢を温めていた」と話すのは、パートナー兼エグゼクティブ・シェフを務める白川仁恵氏。同氏は、2008年に日本の製菓・調理専門学校がニューヨークに進出し、カフェを開店した際、エグゼクティブ・シェフとして着任した。カフェ閉店後は、自身の企業を立ち上げペイストリー類を卸したり、レストランやカフェに務めたりなどして、活躍の幅を広げてきた。日米通算28年もの実績を誇る大ベテランのパティシエだ。数年前に、寿司割烹やうどんレストランを経営する台湾人オーナーとの出会ったことがきっかけで、『Patisserie Fouet』の開店に至ったという。
　開店から1年ちょっと、この間、開店時間やメニュー構成など試行錯誤してきたが、ようやく現在の形に落ち着いたところだという。“パティスリー”という枠にとらわれず、時間ごとにさまざまな楽しみ方ができる店は、他になかなかないだろう。今後、日本酒や焼酎、日本産ウィスキーなども強化したいとのことで、これからの変化がますます楽しみな店だ。

Patisserie Fouet
15 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003
Tel: 212-620-0622
www.fouetnyc.com
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10am-9pm
Wednesday-Saturday: 10am-10pm
Sunday: 10am-9pm

By Yuji Matsumoto

Sake Q&A

1. Cold or Hot
Many people think that high quality sake should be enjoyed cold but this is wrong. Compared to fine quality sake which you can drink without worrying about the temperature, sake that has poor balance should be enjoyed extremely cold.

2. What is good sake?
Certainly one standard is the price, but we need to think if we can find a sake that has the value to satisfy ones taste. It is important to find a "sake that suits me" instead of a good sake. There would be a tendency for one that likes fully body red wines to prefer a Junmai-Kimoto or Honjozo type, and one that likes a young, fruity chardonnay to prefer a gentle, strong aroma Daiginjyo type.

3. Tasting method
Sip it with air like you would with wine. For the glass, it is important to pour a small amount into a glass for white wines type and swish it around lightly to come in contact with air.

4. Drinking container
It is amazing that the taste can totally change with the glass you use not only for sake but for wines and beers also. If you want to enjoy the taste, especially examine the aroma, it is good to use a small white wine glass. If you are having it hot, it is good to use a smaller ceramic type container that doesn't have the shape to be smothered with alcohol steam and doesn't cover your nose when you put it to your mouth.

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日本酒Q&A

１． 冷か燗か
多くの人は、高級酒は冷して飲むと思っているが、これは違う。質の良い日本酒ほど温度にあまりとらわれず飲むことができるのに対して、バランスの悪い酒は、キンキンに冷やした方が逆に良い。

２． いいお酒とは
もちろん一つの目安になるのが値段だが、本当に自分になりに味わって価値を見出せるかを考える必要がある。いいお酒より「自分に合ったお酒」を見つけ出すことが重要。
フルボディーの赤ワイン系が好きな人は、おそらく純米生もとや本醸造系が気に入るだろうし、若いフルーティーなシャルドネが好きな人は、端麗で香り高い大吟醸系が気に入る傾向にある。

３． テイスティング方法
ワインと同じく、空気と一緒にすするように飲む。グラスは、白ワイン系のグラスに少しそそぎ、軽く回し空気と触れさせることが重要。

４． 飲む器
日本酒に限らず、ワインやビールでも飲むグラスによって味が全く変わるから不思議。味、特に香りを吟味し、楽しみたいのであれば小さめの白ワイングラスが良い。熱燗の場合は、アルコールの蒸気でむせないような形や口に当て鼻までかぶらない小さめの陶器系が良い。

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清酒Q&A

１． 冷飲？熱飲？
許多人認為高級的酒應為冷飲；但事實並非如此。越高品質的清酒，越不受溫度限制；相反品質偏頗的酒則冷藏後反而更好。

２． 何謂好酒？
當然，價格是準則之一；但亦必須考慮是否可以由自己「品嚐」出其價值。找到「適合自己的酒」比尋找好酒更為重要。
喜歡濃郁紅酒的人可能會喜歡生酛純米酒和本醸造系列的酒。而喜歡擁有清香果味的霞多麗的人，比較傾向選擇精緻而香味濃郁的大吟釀系列的酒。

３． 品嚐方法
像葡萄酒一樣，連同空氣一同吸入般喝下。至於酒杯，重要的是稍微倒進白葡萄酒酒杯中，並輕輕地搖晃數回，令酒能與空氣接觸。

４． 酒杯
令人感到神奇的是，無論是葡萄酒或者啤酒等，味道都會因酒杯的不同而有所改變。如果想享受味道，尤其是想品味香味，小白葡萄酒杯是不錯的選擇。選擇熱飲時，選用以不會被酒精蒸氣引致嗆咳的形狀、或者小型陶器系，飲用時不會蓋住鼻子的酒杯為佳。

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니혼슈(일본술) Q & A

１． 뜨겁게 마실 것이냐, 차갑게 마실 것이냐
대부분의 사람들은 고급 술은 차갑게 마시는 것이라 생각하지만 이는 맞지 않습니다. 질 좋은 술이야말로 온도와 관계 없이 마실 수 있는 반면, 균형감이 좋지 않은 술은 오히려 차갑게 마시는 것이 좋습니다.

２． 좋은 술이란
물론 가격을 하나의 기준으로 꼽을 수 있지만, 자기자신이 스스로 진정한 가치를 느낄 수 있는 술인지를 생각해 봐야 합니다. 좋은 술보다 “자신에게 맞는 술"을 찾는 것이 중요합니다.
풀바디 레드 와인 계열을 좋아하는 사람이라면 아마 쥰마이 기모토(純米生もと)나 양조 계열을 좋아할 것이며 젊은 감각의 과일향 샤도네를 좋아하는 사람이라면 깔끔하고 향기로운 다이긴죠(大吟醸)를 좋아하는 경향이 있습니다.

３． 테이스팅 방법
와인과 마찬가지로 공기와 함께 홀짝 마십니다. 화이트 와인 잔에 소량 따라 가볍게 돌리며 공기와 접촉시키는 것이 중요합니다.

４． 술잔
니혼슈뿐만 아니라 와인이나 맥주도 술잔에 따라 맛이 완전히 달라지니 흥미롭습니다. 맛, 특히 향기를 음미하며 즐기고 싶다면 크기가 작은 화이트 와인 잔이 좋습니다. 따뜻하게 데운 술의 경우, 마실 때 알코올 증기가 올라오지 않도록 입에 댔을 때 코를 덮지 않는 모양의 작은 도자기 잔이 좋습니다.

By Keiko Fukuda

The guide map of Japanese food restaurants of Little Tokyo is becoming livelier and livelier every year featuring more and more ramen, sushi, okonomiyaki, izakaya places, etc. In addition to the groups such as Daikokuya and Shinsengumi, which have launched the business and have been expanding locally, there are many other restaurant businesses which came from Japan, and are flourishing successfully here. One such business is “PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO”, which is located in the Honda Plaza.
Their parent company is “Restaurant Bank”, which has developed and is running 16 locations mainly in the Kansai area of Japan including the current 2 in the US. Their business models are diversified, which include oden-izakayas, and standing room only drinking bars, soba-izakayas, Italian restaurants, and Italian dessert specialty restaurants. They even do consulting for curry and yakiniku restaurants. After their President, Mitsuhide Hayashi opened sushi izakaya “JINBEI” in Irvine in Orange County as their first overseas restaurant, he talked to Masaki Tsuzuki, who is currently managing PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO, and decided to open PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO in Little Tokyo. Mr. Tsuzuki’s title in the company is General Manager, Overseas Businesses Division.
This restaurant is about to enter the third year since its opening, and Mr. Tsuzuki says that he felt good responses early on in the second month. “Since the very first day the restaurant was introduced in an online medium called DineLA, people started to come, and we got really busy. Then, after getting an interview by LA Weekly, we got even busier!” He said that those 2 times they were featured in the media, is what really caused the sudden boost in the number of customers.
“ALLEGRO” in Japan, which is run by the parent company, serves pizza and pasta, taking advantage of the President’s experience of winning 6th place in the pizza chef competition in Naples, Italy. However, here at PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO, they concentrate on serving only pasta dishes. Tsuzuki explains the reason as follows; “First, I thought it was necessary to simplify the operation to efficiently run the restaurant. Also we disclose the pasta recipes openly within the company, so anybody can score at least 80 out of a perfect 100 points. In our system, absence of the chef would not disable the making of the pasta dishes.
Mr. Tsuzuki also insists on the principles of making the operation simple, and the authenticity of the recipes. “Our pasta is not a fusion. We do not jump to new things, and stick to the basics sincerely. Our recipes consist of 80 percent traditional Italian, and 20 percent Japanese flavored. We will never be diverted from the idea of sticking to the royal road of cooking.
As Mr. Tsuzuki explained, in addition to Japanese style pasta dishes such as uni cream pasta and mentaiko pasta, their pasta menu consists of authentic Italian pasta dishes such as beef ragu (bolognese), arrabbiata, etc. All those pasta recipes are copied from their restaurants in Japan rather than Americanizing them, but the volume is larger for here. I had the uni pasta on the interview day. The large-volume pasta was coated with rich uni cream sauce, and big pieces of uni on top. “Anybody can score at least 80%” isn’t a humble enough quote. It tasted so satisfying; however, I must say honestly that the American size volume was not easy to handle unless you are very hungry.
I asked about the customer ratio, which is 80% Americans, and 20% students and business people from overseas including Japanese. Although the entrance is narrow and small, the tables in the back are laid out spaciously. The back space looks well-suited for private parties.
The group already has 2 locations in the US, and Mr. Tsuzuki said that they are hoping to increase the number of restaurants in the future, regardless of the business models. “Many of our restaurants in Japan are located, not in busy city centers, but in remote areas. Rather than starting at locations where the property leasing is expensive, we try to draw people to us by the restaurant’s attractiveness.” I had a feeling that the day is near when we see one of this group’s wide variety of restaurant business models, which has been established in Japan, in a Los Angeles suburb in the near future.


日本から上陸したパスタ店リトルトーキョーで盛業中

ラーメン、寿司、お好み焼き、居酒屋と、リトルトーキョーの日本食マップは年々賑やかに彩られていくが、現地で立ち上げて店舗数を広げてきた大黒家や新撰組といったローカル組以外に、日本からの進出組の活躍も目覚ましい。その中の代表的な存在が、ホンダプラザ内に出店しているPASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROだ。
同店の親会社は、日本の関西を中心に、国内と現在のアメリカの２店舗を含め16店舗を展開しているレストランバンク。おでん居酒屋、立ち飲み、そば居酒屋、イタリアン、イタリアのデザート専門店を多様な業態な店を構え、さらにカレー店、焼肉店のコンサルティングも手がける。そして、社長の林秀光さんが海外１号店としてオレンジ・カウンティのアーバインに寿司居酒屋JINBEIを出店した後、現在PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROをマネージしている都築正記（つづきまさき）さんと話し合い、PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROをリトルトーキョーに開けた。ちなみに都築さんのタイトルは海外事業部統括マネージャーだ。
開店して３周年を迎えようとする同店だが、手応えを感じたのは２カ月目の時点、非常に早かったと都築さんは振り返る。「オンラインのメディア、DineLAに紹介された当日からお客さんが詰め掛けて急に忙しくなりました。その後、LA Weeklyから取材されると、さらにお客さんが増えました」。顧客が一気に増えた転機は、メディアに紹介された、その２回だったそうだ。
日本で親会社が経営しているALLEGROは、社長がナポリのピッツァ選手権で世界６位になった経歴を生かして、ピッツァとパスタを扱っている。しかし、ここアメリカのPASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROではパスタだけに絞っている。その理由について都築さんは次のように説明する。「まずは店を効率的に回すためにオペレーションをシンプルにする必要があると考えました。また、パスタのレシピに関しても社内で広く公開することで、誰が作っても80点は取れるようにしています。シェフがいないと作れないというシステムにはしていません」。
オペレーションをシンプルにすること、そして、レシピはあくまでオーセンティックにこだわるという姿勢も都築さんは強調した。「うちの店のパスタはフュージョンではありません。新しいことには飛びつかず、基本に忠実に取り組んでいます。イタリアの伝統レシピが８割、日本風なレシピが２割という構成です。料理は王道を行きたいという方針が揺らぐことはありません」。
パスタのメニューには、都築さんも説明したように、日本的なうにクリームパスタや明太子パスタと同様にビーフラグー（ボロネーゼ）やアラビアータなど本格的なイタリアンのパスタも並ぶ。それらのレシピはアメリカで味を変えることなく日本と同じにしているが、アメリカでは量を多くしているそうだ。取材当日はうにクリームパスタをいただいた。濃厚なうにのクリームソースがたっぷりのパスタに絡まり、さらに大きなうにのかたまりがトッピングされている。「誰が作っても80点以上」どころではなく味に対する満足度は非常に高かったが、アメリカンサイズの量のパスタには、空腹状態で訪れないと太刀打ちできないというのが正直な感想だった。
客層について聞くと、８割がアメリカ人、２割が日本人も含む他の国からの学生やビジネスマンだと答えた。内装は間口こそ狭いが、奥に進むとテーブル席がゆとりを持って配置されている。奥の空間は貸切パーティーにも活用できそうだ。
グループで２店舗、すでにアメリカで出店しているが、今後も業態にこだわらずに店の数を増やしていく方針だと都築さんは語る。「日本でも中心街ではなく、少し引っ込んだ場所に店を出しているケースが多いんです。最初からリース代が高い場所に出すより、店の魅力で顧客を引っ張ってくることを目指しています」。近い将来、日本ですでに実績がある多様な業態の中から、新たなグループ店がロサンゼルス近郊に誕生する可能性は高そうだ。


PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO
432 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles
(213)265-7003
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Japanese-Restaurant/PASTA-e-PASTA-by-ALLEGRO-736154563229529/

11:30am-2:00pm
5:30pm-9:30pm
Monday Closed