Japanese alcohol is very much in trend these days. Enter any bar or restaurant from Manhattan to Melbourne, Montreal to Manchester and you will find patrons drinking Asahi beer, sipping on Suntory whisky and pairing Dassai sake with their sashimi.
Our tour today will focus on whisky and beer - traditionally western style alcohol, that the Japanese studied, perfected, then imported back to the same markets at a premium price.
Its an early start this morning as we head to Tokyo station to catch the Shinkansen bullet train. We have arranged with your hotel to provide a breakfast bento for the 90min journey to Sendai.
With a population of approximately one million, Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku Region and among Japan's 15 most populous cities. Its origin dates back to around 1600 when Date Masamune, a prominent feudal lord, established the modern city. Many of Sendai's attractions are linked to Masamune and his family.
From Sendai station, we will drive 40 minutes to the Nikka Whisky Miyagikyo Distillery. Japanese whisky production is relatively new, with a history of only 100 years. In 1918, the Settsu Sake Company saw a gap in the market for whisky so they sent chemistry student Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland to learn whisky distilling first hand.
On his return to Japan, Taketsuru teamed up with Shinjiro Torii, founder of Torii Shoten (now Suntory) who at the time were producing port wine. Together they set up the country’s first whisky distillery in 1924 – Yamazaki.
Fast forward almost 80 years - in 2003, Japanese whiskey went from a tipple enjoyed domestically to a world renowned sensation. The movie “Lost in Translation” featured Bill Murray’s character advertising Suntory’s whisky with the memorable quote: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time!”
In the same year, Suntory’s Yamazaki 12 Year Old won the Gold Award at the International Spirits Challenge in the UK and the Japanese whisky boom was on.
After 10 years at Suntory, Masataka Taketsuru left to start his own distillery, Nikka. On today’s tour, you will learn more about Taketsuru’s whisky journey from Scotland to Japan, the full Nikka product line, and the whisky production process. You will get a behind the scenes look at the pot stills, Coffey stills, and the barrel aging warehouse, then enjoy a complimentary tasting at the bar.
After a local lunch, we will move on to the Kirin Beer Brewery. The most popular alcoholic drink these days, Japan again looked to the west in the early days of domestic beer production. A man named Seibei Nakagawa was dispatched to Germany to learn the brewing trade; upon his return, and using German techniques and styles, he started Pioneers Brewery in 1875, which soon become Sapporo.
Kirin Brewery was established in 1907, taking over the business of Japan Brewery Company, which had been founded in 1885. The brand is named after the kirin, a mythical beast which is said to appear before auspicious occasions. It is one of the ‘Big 4” beer companies in Japan, and its beer accounts for around 30% of the beer market.
The Sendai brewery supplies the entire Tohoku region, and here we will learn the history of the company and how their popular beer is brewed. We will finish with a tasting of some of their range of different beers.
We once again board the the bullet train, which will get you back in time to enjoy your evening in Tokyo.
PROGRAM CONCLUDES
