The White Oak Distillery is located in the city of Akashi in the Hyogo prefecture. This distillery received its distillery license in 1919 but only really began using it for whisky in 1984; prior to that it mainly (and still) was used for saké and barley shochu production. White Oak Akashi Red Blended Japanese Whisky is produced from both grain and malt whiskies. A light and fruity drink with hints of almond, peach, and grape.

Tsuru-Ume series are brewed and blended with the long experience and the rich skill and recipe in the liquor sprits brewing works of Heiwa Shuzou brewery. The most specific idea of living in this modern world stands on the understanding of “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.” In this idea, the Tsuru-Ume series are hand-crafted in the concept of LOHAS style. That is why this series is not for mass production and easy consumption. You will know it when you try! Among the products produced in Wakayama prefecture is Heiwa Shuzo Tsuru-ume Ichigo (Strawberry). Tsuru-ume Ichigo or strawberry is a seasonal limited Tsuru-ume. Wakayama is also famous for strawberry production. The contents here are strawberry juice (60%) and the rest is Tsuru-ume plum sake. The fresh Japanese strawberry aroma and sweetness blending with tartness of plum sake is well balanced and leaves you wanting more! Recommended to be drank chilled, neat or over ice serving style: The Tsuru-ume Ichigo can be mixed with Oolong tea or black tea as well. Heiwa recommend pairing the Tsuru-ume Ichigo with chocolate. It can also be used as a sauce for vanilla ice cream or yogurt. Store in a cool and dark place away from sunlight to avoid spoiling the taste. After opening, store in a refrigerator and drink as soon as possible.

The Afuri series from Kikkawa Jozo is brewed with water from a rain-fed spring at the foot of Mount Afuri in Kanagawa. It is naturally harder than typical sake brewing water at 150ppm in equal parts Calcium and Magnesium. These nutrients allow for extremely low temperature fermentation to develop extra complexity. Founded in 1912, Kikkawa once made rich and dry sake. The 7th generation chief brewer Masanori Mizuno took over in 2012 changing focus to a complex, robust and aromatic style balanced by ancient acid production techniques. This is a pure rice sake with a beautiful rose-pink color made using the rare Tsurubara (rambling rose) flower yeast and pesticide-free cultivated ancient rice which is also rich in polyphenols and minerals. It has a gentle and smooth taste, making it suitable even for sake beginners. While it has a sweet and floral aroma, it also offers a clear aftertaste.. Serve chilled, serve with rich dishes or as you begin your afternoon.

Starting with super high quality Hyogo grown Yamada Nishiki, this sake features yeast no.77 which is very high in malic acid production (green apple note). Aromas of honeysuckle, white grape and lemon balm leap from the glass. The palate is round but transitions very quickly into sweet tart candy. There’s lots of acidity, even some astringency before the long finish suggests apple jolly rancher. A great introduction to the Afuri line.

Product Information: Oka Kura Bermutto is a uniquely Japanese take on the category of vermouth made from aromatised, shochu-fortified sake. Technically it's not a vermouth because it is not wine-based, but it works in cocktails as a vermouth should—as a botanically-infusing, low ABV modifier— that bridges a gap between sake, shochu, and vermouth. Oka Kura Bermutto is essentially a dry vermouth. There are four botanicals used in the production of Oka Kura: Yuzu, Kabosu, Sansho peppercorn, and Yomogi. Yuzu is an acidic aromatic citrus as acidic as a lemon with a flavour that's reminiscent to lemon, grapefruit, and Mandarin orange. Kabosu is a very high-acid citrus profile and flavour similar to yuzu and lime. Sansho peppercorn is a peppery and slightly citrusy peppercorn that's relative Sichuan peppercorn only it produces are milder, numbing sensation on the palate. Lastly there's Yomogi – A Japanese wormwood, also known as Japanese mugwort. FYI: Bermutto is a Japanese phonetic spelling of vermouth. The Japanese language has no “v” sound, so the v's in foreign words are written and pronounced with “b” instead. Maker: Founded by Yuno Hayashi and named for her grandfather, OKA BRAND offers a growing range of distinctly Japanese spirits and liqueurs made from local rice spirits, Junmai sake, and hyper-regional botanicals. Each expression provides not only endless drinking possibilities, but a gateway to Japanese flavors and traditions. Distillery: OKA BRAND spirits and liqueurs are produced by the legendary Tsutsumi Distillery in the Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. Tsutsumi has been producing shochu for nearly 150 years in the Hitoyoshi Basin just 5 km from the Kuma River, the longest river in Kyushu. It is one of only 28 distilleries certified by the World Trade Organization as a Kuma Shochu producer, a designation similar to the protected designations of origin of Scotch, tequila, and Cognac. The Kuma River is renowned for its reputation as the clearest stream in Japan, lending itself to crafting fine sake and shochu, all from rice grown within the Kuma River system. Influenced by the fortified, aromatized wine producers of Europe while drawing on Japanese tradition, OKA BRAND took the cocktail world by storm with the introduction of their flagship expression, Bermutto. A yuzu liqueur and sweet, ume-based formulation of Bermutto followed, and now with the introduction of rice-based vodkas and gin, OKA offers an even wider range of exceptional products for use in cocktails by the world’s most discerning bartenders and mixologists. Nose - Yeast, Tropical Fruits, Lavendar The nose is fruity and yeasty with notes of grapefruit, peach, guava, lavender, and plum. Palate - Rice, Faint Plum, Piquant Peppers On the palate, the sake base is immediately evident with base notes of rice, yeast, and faint plum. Yuzu and sansho peppercorn brighten things up. Finish - Yuzu, Grapefruit, Pleasant Bitters An undercurrent of yomogi provides earthy grapefruit from beginning to end.