Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

by Kosuke Kuji

As the novel coronavirus raged across Japan in March, many restaurants voluntarily shortened their business hours or shut down.
Since the state of emergency was declared, citizens were continuously advised not to dine out in restaurants or attend drinking parties in large groups. The tourism and restaurant industries were dealt a significant blow in Japan.
Restaurant owners were not exactly wringing their hands, as many restaurants started to accept take-out orders.
Although this is wonderful, alcohol permits in Japan stipulate alcoholic beverages purchased from restaurants must be consumed on the premises.
Take-home consumption is prohibited.
In such times, the news reported alcohol delivery and take-out sales from restaurants became legal in the U.S.
We sake breweries initiated an effort to establish a system allowing take-out sales of alcoholic beverages as permitted in the U.S. by dividing the volume into smaller portions, etc., to save our restaurant clientele. The National Tax Agency JAPAN, the administering agency of liquor licenses, immediately responded at a startling speed and lifted the ban to permit take-home sales of alcoholic beverages. However, thanks to the remarkable speed of the permit granted in only one day, many restaurants continue to use this system to accept take-out orders for both food and alcoholic beverages.
Restaurants, especially bars and pubs do not only serve food. Consumers enjoy satisfaction from savoring the sake selections chosen by the owner together with delicious cuisine in the ambiance of the establishment. We cannot yet enjoy the ambiance of a bar or pub, and the cuisine alone lacks the joy of dining out; however, adding the alcoholic beverage adds joy to a take-out meal consumed at home.
There must be more we could do. We sake breweries look forward to continuing our efforts.



酒豪大陸「飲食店の持ち帰り酒販免許特例解禁」

新型コロナウィルスが日本で猛威を振るっている3月、飲食店は自ら自粛をしたり、店舗のオープン時間を短くしたりしていました。
緊急事態宣言が出てからは、名指しで飲食店に行かないように、大人数の飲み会をしないように、と言われ続け、観光産業とともに、日本でもかなりの被害を受けているのが飲食店でした。
もちろん手をこまねいているわけではないのですが、テイクアウトを始める飲食店も多数出てきました。
それはそれで素晴らしいのですが、日本では免許の関係で、飲食店にあるお酒はその飲食店で飲まなければ行けません。
持ち出したりするのは禁止されています。
そんな中、アメリカでも飲食店にアルコールの持ち帰り販売が可能になったというニュースが出ました。
私達蔵元は飲食店さんを救うために日本でもアメリカ同様に、飲食店でお酒を小分けしたりして持ち帰り販売できる制度の創設に動きました。すぐさま免許を管轄する国税庁が呼応して、驚くほどの早さで飲食店でのお酒の持ち帰り免許が解禁されました。しかも申請から1日で認可されるというスピード感のすごさもあり、多くの飲食店さんがこの制度を使って今でも料理とお酒をテイクアウトしています。
飲食店、特に飲み屋さんは料理だけ出すお店ではありません。そこの主が選んだ自分の料理にあう日本酒をその雰囲気でおいしい料理と楽しむことで満足を得られます。雰囲気などは今は出来ませんが、料理だけでは飲み屋の魅力は少なく、これに酒がつく事で少しは飲み屋の良さを自宅で味わう事が出来ます。
やれることはたくさんあるはずです。酒蔵も頑張っていきたいと思います。

Tokyo Jizake Strolling (The Future Direction of Japanese Sake)

While the coronavirus threat is starting to subside in Tokyo, most residents are still in quarantine with some hesitant to step into restaurants where people congregate. As reported in the previous issue, people are determined to find creative ways to get through the tough economic times posing the greatest challenge for sake breweries and retail shops selling sake. The economy will not go back to normal right away. As Tokyoites gradually come out of quarantine, those who cannot telecommute are heading back to work in the cities, filling commuter trains that was empty until just recently, leaving no seats available.
This means demand will decrease among consumers who consume sake at home. However, restaurants cannot get back to normal business anytime soon, continuing to incur losses. Sake shops will continue to suffer losses in sales to customers and restaurants. This situation is expected to continue for several more months, with stay-at-home likely to continue outside of essential purposes to avoid a secondary infection. However, since restaurants, sake shops, and sake breweries are all inter-connected, sake breweries are also struggling. This timing gives evidence to how much sake consumption declined among Japanese nationals.
Traditionally, sake was found in every home and would expect sake consumption at home would increase under these conditions, therefore, sake shops and breweries should not be incurring losses hypothetically. One conclusion that may be drawn is that the PR teams and ambassadors of Japanese sake brands were not effective in their promotional efforts. Perhaps, their efforts to popularize Japanese sake were directed in the wrong direction. Japanese sake is a beverage casually consumed and closely tied into everyday life in Japan. Therefore, the increased wine consumption compared to the reduced sake consumption can be attributed to Japanese society as a whole.
This is a timing to take a long, hard look for PR teams of Japanese sake. However, all we can do for now is to drink sake. The difficult challenges can be addressed once the coronavirus threat passes completely. Also, I hear many people are cooking more and improving their cooking skills while staying home. Using regional sake for cooking is a great idea. For example, if using miso one day, or cooking wild game or fresh fish is a great reason to purchase regional sake to cook with or compliment the prepared cuisine. For example, in a community with regional cuisines prepared from mountain vegetables, why not purchase regional sake from a local brewery to prepare wild game and enjoy with the sake? Since the same sake was used in preparing the cuisine, there is no way the sake wouldn’t compliment the cuisine.
The message that is important to pass on is not knowledge pertaining to sake composition, etc., not simply to consume sake, but knowledge to closely and efficiently tie sake into daily life to increase the consumption volume of sake overall. Also, I pray business is back to normal by the time this article is published.



東京地酒散歩（日本酒の向かう場所）

　コロナウイルスの脅威が落ち着きつつある東京だが、まだまだ自粛ムードであり、人が集まる飲食店に行くのを躊躇う人も多い感じである。前回も書いたのだが、皆それぞれ工夫を凝らし、今を乗り切ることに必死であるが酒蔵・酒販店としては、一番苦しい時期だろう。直ぐに世の中が通常に戻るわけでは無い。東京も多少ステイホームの意識が緩み始め、テレワークだけでは済ませられない人達が仕事に出ている。ガラガラだった都心の通勤電車が座れなくなっているそうだ。そうなると家呑み需要が減るのだが、飲食店はまだまだ通常運転とはいかず苦しい状態が続いている。酒販店としては、一般のお客様販売も飲食店売りも減るだけである。まだまだこの状況が数か月続く予想なのだが、2次感染の事も考えて不要不急の外出は避けねばならないだろう。しかし、飲食店・酒販店・酒蔵は連結しているので、酒造メーカーも苦しいようだ。このタイミングで日本人がどれほど日本酒を飲まなくなったかが解かる。昔は各家庭に日本酒が有り、普通に考えたら家呑み需要が増え、そこまで大きく酒販店や酒蔵が厳しい状況になることは無いはずである。今回、日本酒ＰＲ活動家やアンバサダーと呼ばれる人達の活動の成果が出ていなかったと言えるだろう。日本酒普及の向かうべき方向が間違っていたのかもしれない。手軽で生活に密着した日本酒なのにワインを手本に難しくしてしまった世の中に責任は多少有るだろう。ＰＲ活動を行っている人達は真剣に考えねばならないタイミングだと考える。しかし、今は只ひたすら酒を飲むしかない。難しい事は、完全に世界的にコロナの脅威が過ぎ去ってから考えれば良い。因みに、このタイミングで自炊に目覚める人も多いと聞く。料理の腕が上がったという人もいる。料理酒として地酒を探すのも悪くない。例えば、今日は味噌を使うから・・・ジビエ系だから・・・新鮮な魚が手に入ったなどそのタイミングで飲む酒でもあり料理酒としてもその地域の特徴で酒を買うのも良いのではないだろうか。山の幸を主としている地域の酒蔵の酒を買いジビエ料理を作り、その料理を肴に酒を飲む。料理に使った酒を飲むので合わないわけがない。今後伝えていかねばならない事は日本酒の成分などの知識では無く、日本酒は飲むだけではなく上手に利用する事で生活に密着した物になり日本酒消費量が上がるという知識ではなかろうか。そして、この記事が掲載される時には活気のある世の中に戻っていることを祈るばかりである。

By Yuji Matsumoto


1. Cold or Hot
Many people think that high quality sake should be enjoyed chilled, but that is wrong. Compared to not needing to worry about the temperature for the better quality sakes, it is better to really chill the poor balanced sakes on the contrary. For one guideline, if it is a refreshing sake that has a flower or fruit type aroma, it’s better to chill them to enjoy the clean cut taste and aroma.

2. Which Sake is Better?
Which sake you like changes if the food you like regularly is rich or light so there is no exact answer, but I feel there is a tendency that someone that likes full body red wine will probably like a Junmai Kimoto or Honjozo type sake and someone that likes a young, fruity chardonnay will like a Daiginjo of Niigata prefecture type sake.

3. Drinking Cup
Not only for sake but for wines or beers, it’s amazing that the taste can drastically change depending on the glass. If you want to enjoy the taste and especially the aroma, a small white wine glass is good. For hot sake, so the steam of the alcohol is not smothering, a ceramic type with a slightly large mouth that holds the temperature is good. A wooden square doesn’t go well with aromatic Ginjo types but for sakes with definite body like Junmai types, you can enjoy them with the aroma of Cypress. Please enjoy cold or at room temperature if you have it that way.


 
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。一つの目安としては、花や果実系の香りのするすっきりとした日本酒は、冷した方が味の切れと香りが楽しめる。

2、いいお酒はどれ
普段の自分の好む料理がこってり系なのか、あっさり系なのかによっても日本酒の好みも変わってくるので一概には言えないが、フルボディーの赤ワイン系が好きな人は、おそらく純米生酛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、新潟の大吟醸系が気に入る傾向にある。

3、飲む器
日本酒に限らず、ワインやビールでも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、アルコールの蒸気が抜け、むせない少し口の大きな陶器系で保温性のあるものが良い。
木の枡は、香る吟醸系にはあまりむかないが、純米などのしっかりとしたボディーの日本酒には、ヒノキの香りが出て美味しく感じられる。その際は、冷か常温で飲む。


 
清酒問答

1. 冷或熱
許多人認為高級清酒都是冷藏後飲用，但事實並非如此。高品質的清酒就算溫度不同仍然可口，但味道不平衡的清酒反而該冰凍飲用。根據經驗，清爽、帶有花香或果香的清酒，冷卻後可享受清爽的餘韻和香氣。

2. 哪些才是好酒
不能一概而論，因為我所喜好的清酒味道，會隨我平時喜歡吃的食物味道是重還是淡而變化。不過如果您喜歡酒體豐厚的紅酒，可能會喜歡純米生酛或本釀造系的酒；如果您偏好年輕果味的莎當妮，可能會喜歡新潟市的大吟釀系的酒。

3. 飲酒容器
奇怪的是，不僅清酒，葡萄酒和啤酒也會根據酒杯的不同，口味也有所不同。如果您想享受味道，尤其是香味，可以使用小的白葡萄酒杯。在熱燗（熱飲）的情況下，最好使用陶器，該陶器的嘴要稍大一些，以防止酒精蒸氣逸出時給嗆到，並使其保持溫暖。
木質的枡（像一個小木盒一樣的杯）不適合帶有香味的吟釀系清酒，但是用來喝如純米等酒體紮實的清酒，側會散發出一絲絲檜木香，感覺很美味。在這種情況下，請在冷或常溫下飲用。


 
일본술 Q & A

1, 차갑게 아니면 따뜻하게?
대부분 고급술은 차갑게 마시는 것으로 생각하기 쉽지만, 이는 틀린 생각입니다. 양질의 일본술일수록 온도와 상관없이 마실 수 있지만, 밸런스가 나쁜 술은 아주 차갑게 마시는 편이 오히려 좋습니다. 꽃이나 과실류의 향이 나는 깔끔한 맛의 일본술은 차갑게 마시는 것이 산뜻한 뒷맛과 향을 즐길 수 있습니다.

2, 좋은 술의 기준
평소 자신이 좋아하는 요리가 진한 맛인지 담백한 맛인지에 따라 좋아하는 일본술도 달라지기 마련입니다. 따라서 모두 다 그런 것은 아니지만, 풀바디의 와인을 좋아하는 사람은 대체로 준마이 기모토(純米生酛)나 혼죠조(本醸造)를 좋아하고, 풍부한 과일향의 영한 샤르도네를 좋아하는 사람은 니가타의 다이긴죠(大吟醸)를 즐기는 경향이 있습니다.

3, 술잔
신기하게도 일본술뿐만 아니라 와인과 맥주도 잔에 따라 맛이 변합니다. 맛, 특히 향을 즐기고 싶다면 작은 화이트 와인잔이 안성맞춤입니다. 데운 술을 마실 때는 알코올의 증기가 빠져 습기가 차지 않는 약간 입구가 큰 도자기로, 보온성이 있는 것이 좋습니다.
나무로 만든 병은 향기로운 긴죠(吟醸)에는 잘 어울리지 않지만, 준마이(純米) 등의 깔끔한 바디의 일본술에는 히노키 향이 더해져 더 맛있게 마실 수 있습니다. 이때는 차갑거나 상온으로 마십니다.

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.

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 Kosuke Kuji

While many consumers don’t know the term ‘vegan,’ many vegan restaurants are now starting to open in Tokyo in recent years.
I was sensitive to the term Vegan since I coordinated the sake Nanbu Bijin to be certified as vegan. However, I was surprised to learn a restaurant inside the “Kisarazu Outlet” in Kisarazu city, Chiba prefecture was serving vegan cuisine for a limited time.
Although vegan cuisine is not yet widely known among general consumers (in Japan), I meet many vegan consumers, vegan-leaning consumers, and vegetarians overseas.
I understood this to be the ‘natural’ approach and custom when my fellow vegan promoters introduced me to the smart phone app, “HAPPY COW.”
This app registers vegan, vegetarian, halal, and kosher restaurants in Japan and worldwide for consumers to find restaurants that meets one’s specified conditions in a glance.
I tried this app in Japan, but recently, many restaurants are getting registered.
Using this recent technology as a weapon, I would like to introduce to consumers that Japanese sake is in fact ‘vegan.’
While some vegan products consist of wine and beer, I believe most Japanese sake brands can obtain vegan certification. I think if we all get vegan certified, we can promote the understanding that “Japanese sake is vegan,” which will start a new era. I would like to continue our efforts dreaming of this day.

「日本のヴィーガンレストランの状況」

日本ではヴィーガンという言葉すら知らない人が多いのですが、ここ数年で、東京を中心にヴィーガン食を出すレストランが増えてきました。
私もヴィーガン認定を南部美人で調整していた関係で、ヴィーガンという言葉には敏感でしたが、驚いたのは千葉県木更津市の「木更津アウトレット」の中にあるレストランでヴィーガン食を限定でしたが出すレストランがあった事に驚きました。
日本ではまだまだ広く一般に知られていないヴィーガンですが、海外に行くと大変多くのヴィーガンの方々、ヴィーガンライクの方々、そしてベジタリアンの方々にお会いします。
そしてそれが「当たり前」の考え方と習慣なんだ私は理解していました。
そんな中、ヴィーガンを推し進める仲間から教えてもらったスマホアプリが「HAPPY COW」でした。
これは、日本はもちろん、世界中のヴィーガン、ベジタリアン、ハラル、コーシャなどのレストランが英語で登録されていて、一目で自分の条件にあうレストランを見つけることが出来ます。
日本でも試してみましたが、ここ最近は登録するお店が多くなってきました。
こういった現代の最新の武器を使いながら、日本酒が「ヴィーガン」であることを、もっと多くの方々に伝えて行きたいです。
ワインやビールも一部ヴィーガンがありますが、日本酒はほとんど全てのお酒がヴィーガンの認証を取れると私は思っています。みんなでヴィーガンの認証を受ければ世界中の目は「日本酒ってヴィーガンなんだね」となります。そうなるとまた違った時代を迎えます。そんな時代を夢見てさらに頑張っていきたいと思います。

By Yuji Matsumoto

When we get into December, restaurants start becoming busy with year-end parties and Christmas parties, and we should start preparation from the beginning of November. During this time, wines and champagnes are consumed a lot and even served by restaurants, and it is disappointing that sales of Japanese sake is slightly held back by them. However, if you think of what goes good with food, I feel that Japanese sake is the winner. Also it can be consumed at different temperatures and I am happy that hot sake can warm up your body during the cold seasons.

With some thought out presentations, you can drink Japanese sake in style.
Let's start with the glass. By using the white wine glass instead of the usual Japanese sake glass, you can increase the luxury at your table. If you like sparkling alcohol like champagne, it would be interesting to serve sake in a flute glass. Varieties of sparkling Japanese sake has increased recently and we're thankful that they are being sold at reasonable prices. Also, we would like you to try flavor sake which is popular during this season.

If you like to drink hot sake, we suggest you buy the sake warming set on the market that uses candles to warm sake. This would be a very good match with Western style foods.

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ホリデーシーズンに備える

12月に入るとすぐに忘年会、クリスマスパーティーなどでレストランは忙しい時期となる。11月初旬からすでに準備をしていきたい。この時期ワインやシャンペンは多くレストランでも出るようになるが、日本酒となるとややこれらにおされ気味になるのが残念である。

しかし、食との相性を考えると日本酒が勝ると思う。しかも温度帯も広く、寒い時期には燗酒を飲むことにより身体とも暖めてくれるのがうれしい。

ちょっとした演出により、おしゃれに日本酒を飲むことができる。

まずは、グラス。いつもの小さい日本酒グラスではなく白ワインのグラスを使用することにより、食卓に豪華さが増す。

シャンペンなどの発砲酒が好みならフルートグラスで提供してみると面白い。最近は日本酒の発泡酒の種類も多くなり、手軽な価格になっているのでありがたい。また、同じくフレイバー酒もこの時期に好まれるのでぜひトライしていただきたい。

燗が好きな方は、市販で買えるロウソクで暖める燗セットをお勧めする。これなら、洋食の食卓にもとてもマッチするのである。

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為節日季節作準備

因甫踏進十二月，便有尾牙餐會、聖誕派對等令餐廳非常忙碌的節目；故皆希望能夠於十一月上旬起已開始作準備。在此期間，許多餐廳會提供葡萄酒和香檳等；但遺憾當提及清酒，則有種略微被壓下的感覺。

但是，當考慮到與料理的襯托程度時，個人認為清酒更勝一籌。此外，清酒的溫度範圍廣；在寒冷的天氣裡喝燗酒(註：熱清酒)，令身體更感溫暖，倍添快意。
只需少量心思，就可以時尚地品嘗清酒。

首先，玻璃杯。使用白葡萄酒用的玻璃酒杯代替平時清酒用的小酒杯可以增加餐桌的奢華感。

如果您喜歡香檳等發泡酒，可嘗試將其與香檳杯一起飲用。而值得慶幸的是近來，清酒的發泡酒種類也有所增加，以及已經成為能夠易於負擔的價格。另外，這時期的加香酒亦大受歡迎，請務必嘗試。

對於喜歡燗酒的人，建議使用可以在市場上購買，以蠟燭作加熱方法的燗酒套件。至此，就能變得與西式餐桌非常匹配。

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홀리데이 시즌을 준비하며

12월에 들어서면 송년회며 크리스마스 파티 시즌 등이 금새 돌아오기 때문에, 레스토랑은 바빠지기 전인 11월 초순부터 이미 준비를 해나가야 합니다. 이 시기에 많은 레스토랑에서 와인이나 샴페인을 출시하는데, 니혼슈가 이러한 주류에 약간 밀리는 것 같아 아쉽기도 합니다.

그러나 음식과의 궁합을 생각하면 니혼슈가 더 잘 어울리는 것 같습니다. 온도 범위도 폭 넓고 추울 때 燗酒(칸자케: 따뜻하게 데운 술)를 마시면 몸도 따뜻해져서 기분이 좋아집니다.

조금만 연출하면 세련되게 술을 마실 수도 있습니다.

우선 유리잔이 필요합니다. 늘 마시던 작은 술잔이 아니라 화이트 와인 유리잔을 사용하면 식탁에 고급스러움을 더할 수 있습니다.

샴페인과 같은 발포주를 좋아하면 플룻 글래스에 담아보아도 재미있습니다. 최근에는 니혼슈의 발포주 종류도 많아지고 가격도 저렴해지고 있어 고마운 마음까지 듭니다. 역시 플레이버주도 이 시기에 잘 어울리는 종류이니 꼭 도전해 보면 좋겠습니다.

칸자케를 좋아하는 분들에게 시중에서 살 수 있는 양초로 따뜻하게 데워서 마시는 칸자케 세트를 추천합니다. 이 세트라면 서양 식탁에도 아주 잘 어울릴 것입니다.