Thursday Club with talk RADIO: Pisco, Cachaça and Absinthe

It’s an international theme on The Three Drinkers this week: World drinks you’ve heard of but might not be quite sure what they are! We take a deep dive into Cachaça from Brazil, Pisco from Peru and Absinthe from France! All these drinks are very much finding their own place in the UK finally and so deserve your attention. Here’s a little more about them. Huge thanks to The Whisky Exchange who sent us all the samples. 

Cachaça 

Try: Sagatiba Cachaça Cristalina

If you’ve ever had a Caipirinha, you’ve had Cachaça; the white spirit of Brazil, who produces 800 million litres of the stuff every year! In Brazil, it’s also known as Aguardente de Cana and it’s close in style to a white rhum agricole, distilled from fermented, fresh sugar cane to produce a fruity, slightly spicy, slightly funky spirit. When exported it must be labelled as Cachaça to stop confusion with rums from other countries. 

White Cachaça may be labelled as branca (white), clássica (classic), tradicional (traditional) or prata (silver). Amarela (yellow) Cachaça aka ouro (gold) or envelhecida (aged), is stored or aged in wood, thus changing its colour. “Premium" Cachaça has been aged for at least 12 months in suitable barrels, whereas "Extra Premium" has seen at least three years.  

Find it here at The Whisky Exchange for £21.95 for 70cl.

Simple Caipirinha recipe

1 lime, cut into wedges

60ml ounces Cachaça

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Lime wheel for garnish

Ice

Muddle the lime and sugar in a rocks glass, then add the Cachaça and ice and stir briefly before adding the garnish. 

Pisco

Pisco is a grape brand produced in Peru and Chile that first appeared in the 16th century when the conquistadors started to grow grapes to make wine. They then distilled the results to make Pisco. It’s clear or slightly yellowy because they don’t age it in barrels and neat, it can be dry and earthy or floral and fruity. Sip it neat or make a deliciously refreshing Pisco Sour by adding lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white.

Find it here at The Whisky Exchange for £30.45 for 70cl

Simple recipe for a Pisco Sour

30ml Pisco

15ml lime juice

15ml simple syrup

1 egg white

Garnish: Angostura bitters

Add the Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice) vigorously. Add ice and shake again until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass and garnish with 3 to 5 drops of Angostura bitters. Using a toothpick or similar, swirl the bitters into a simple design.

Absinthe

Try: La Maison Fontaine Blanche

Although originally Swiss, it's fair to say that France claimed it as its own as the spirit that conjures up images of bohemian Parisian in the late 19th- and early 20th century with artists and writers all going a little bit bonkers after drinking it, notably Baudelaire, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and Marcel Proust. It’s an anise-flavoured spirit made from various plants including the famous wormwood, sweet fennel and other medicinal plants. It was always naturally slightly green in colour (hence its nickname, ‘the green fairy’) but can also be made clear. Absinthe is bottled at a high % abv, though it’s meant to be diluted with water. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug as it has been portrayed, though it does have trace elements of thujone; a chemical compound that has been known to lift mood. For many years, Absinthe was banned in the United States but in 2007, it was reintroduced after rigorous testing proved it did not present a health risk or cause louche behaviour.

This blanche Absinthe is made in a pre-ban style with notes of sweet fennel, cereal and  licorice. White absinthes tend to be a bit smoother and less herbal than green ones - often less strong too.  

Find it here at The Whisky Exchange for £20.75 for 20cl - 56%

Simple Absinthe Cocktail Recipe  ‘Death in the afternoon’

25ml of Absinthe

5ml of sugar syrup

120ml Sparkling wine

This punchy tipple was named after Ernest Hemingway’s 1932 book about Spanish bullfighting. Pour the absinthe into a flute with sugar syrup and stir, then top up with chilled Champagne or Sparkling wine. If you prefer something simpler however, try it with really cold water and ice or lemonade.

Glenfiddich to Fuel Trucks with Whisky Waste

Does driving a car powered by whisky count as drunk driving…? The jury’s still out on that one, but one thing we know for certain is that a whisky waste powered car is on the horizon!

Making whisky can be surprisingly wasteful, with nearly 85% of the leftover grains and barley from the malting stage going to waste. Wastage is a huge problem in the food and drink industry, but major whisky producer Glenfiddich seems to be on the road to combatting their waste.

Though previously sold off as high-protein cattle feed, Glenfiddich is using its spent grains to create fuel for trucks. The grains are put through ‘anaerobic digestion’, a process in which bacteria break down organic matter and produce biogas. This biogas is what can be substituted for the harmful diesel. Using biogas instead of diesel or other fossil fuels cuts CO2 emissions by over 95% and reduces other harmful particulates and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99% - now that’s cool. Each truck will displace up to 250 TONNES of CO2 annually!

Glenfiddich currently have four trucks running off this biogas, but plan to convert the other sixteen of their trucks to be biogas fuelled in the near future. At the moment, these trucks are only the ones transporting the spirit to be bottled but William Grant & Sons, Glenfiddich’s parent company, are looking to use the same biogas to power trucks that transport the whisky nationally.

William Grant & Sons have always proclaimed to be at the forefront of reducing carbon emissions in the whisky industry, and they hope to hit carbon net zero targets by 2040. Judging by the way things are going now, that doesn’t seem to be such a huge hurdle anymore.

Glenfiddich distillery director Stuart Watts (pictured above) told Reuters, “The thought process behind this was, ‘what can we do that’s better for us all?’”. This mindset is certainly one that is catching on around the drinks industry as we see more and more brands either utilising waste or becoming carbon neutral (even sometimes carbon negative!).

In Finland, even goose poop has been used to make beer! Check out this article to see how other companies are making their processes a bit more eco-friendly.

What is a Whiskey Sour?

Let us take you back in time, back to a time where boats were the only method of international transport and shirts had far too puffy collars… In the 19th century, scurvy was RIFE in the Navy. With no ships carrying fresh fruit or vegetables, sailors were suffering from severe and deadly Vitamin C deficiencies. Luckily, consuming citrus fruits was discovered as a way of warding off scurvy, and ships began to be piled high with lemons. At that moment, the Whiskey Sour was born.

Drinking spirits was much safer than drinking sea water, and they never expired. When he wrote ‘water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink’ in 1836, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wasn’t kidding. One could mix lemon juice with one's whiskey rations and have a (somewhat) healthy and safe drink. 

This very simple version of the drink was brought back to land and, like the sailors, was cleaned up a bit. Sugar syrup was added to take the bite off the acidic lemon and punch of the whiskey and garnishes were added for a bit of fanciness. It was first written down in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 The Bartender’s Guide. Here’s the original recipe:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon powdered white sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1 wine glass of Bourbon or Rye whiskey
Seltzer
Berry for garnish

Method

Take 1 large tea-spoonful of powdered white sugar and dissolve in a little seltzer. Add the sugar solution, lemon juice and whisky to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a claret glass. Garnish with berries.

The Whiskey Sour you might know often includes egg white and Angostura bitters - but that’s a fairly recent take on the Whiskey Sour. Here’s our favourite 2021 Whiskey Sour Recipe:

Ingredients

50ml Bourbon (we like Maker’s Mark)
35ml lemon juice
12½ml sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
½ fresh egg white
Cherry for garnish
Orange or lemon slice for garnish

Method

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with the orange or lemon slice and a cherry.

Like this? For more delicious cocktail content how about checking out the Crabbie’s Colada, The Dalmore Mackenzie Highball or the Classic Daiquiri?

Which Whiskies To Invest In - August Whisky Investment Index

The closed distilleries march on.

It seems that having been out of the running a few months ago, and now moving up the table, Karuizawa is moving up further. There have been some significant bottles at auction and quite a few of them giving the Japanese distillery a lift in recent weeks. Springbank and Bowmore have kept steady, and Brora has entered the fray.

Brora distillery could be an interesting prospect. Having been closed since 1983, the distillery has been rebuilt. Not just another distillery on the same site. The re-built distillery is almost an exact replica of the original. The original new make is no more, but Dr Jim Beverage can remember the profile and is certain he can recreate the magic of the past.

Whether this will bring old bottles out of the woodwork, or if people will hold onto them hoping the Brora brand will grow and grow, one doesn’t know. But my feeling is that if you can invest in old bottles of Brora, which already has cult status, you won’t do badly.

Macallan 1%
Bowmore 1%
Springbank 1.5%
Karuizawa 2.0%
The Dalmore 2%
Clynelish 3%
Brora 2%
Rosebank Official Bottlings 1%
Ardbeg 2%
Glen Grant

Bottles to Watch

The following bottles are from Brora. There are not many as Brora bottles are truly old and rare, and I would advise finding bottles at auction rather than at retail. As always, these are just suggestions but it will point you in the right direction to do your own research and introduce you to the possibilities of investing in whisky.

Brora 37 year old (Special releases 2015)

This bottle is from a release a few years ago and will likely improve over the coming years as well. An official bottling from Diageo, it will always be sought after.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 50.4%
Find here: US $1999.99

Brora 21 year old 1977

This 1977 is a lot less expensive than its older sibling from 1972, and therefore has a little more room to increase in value.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.9%
Find here: UK £1795

Brora 1982, bottled 2008 G&M Connoisseurs Choice

Independent bottles are frequently less expensive to buy, this can also be because they are also bottled at a lower ABV. However, with good ones, they can increase in value at the same rate as official bottles. This is a prime example.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £1200 

To see how this whisky investment index is created, have a look at March and to see how August compares to July click here.

Dill Pickle Hard Seltzer

If you’ve been anywhere (and I mean anywhere) in the past six months you’ll be aware of how trendy hard seltzer is at the moment. Ever since White Claw clawed its way across the Atlantic, supermarkets have been racing to develop their own alcoholic fizzy waters. 

However, one company has really pushed the boat out and turned what was merely an April Fool’s joke into a real product! Back in April, drinkware brand BrüMate teased a dill pickle flavoured seltzer on their Instagram page and people went WILD. The exotic flavour sparked such an outcry in BrüMate’s followers that on the 25th June 2021 they launched a limited edition ‘Hard Pickle Seltzer - Afternoon Dillight’, teaming up with seltzer company Crook + Marker to create what seems to be a pretty revolutionary drink. 

Crook’dBru, as they’ve called themselves, have not disappointed in any part of this launch - with their incredible website sprinkled with pickle puns (which we respect greatly) and even an online minigame! This isn’t the last we’ll see of Crook’dBru either, as they’ve promised multiple more collaborations, tweeting ‘wait til you see what we have in the works’... How ominous and exciting! Perhaps we’ll see a pickled onion hard seltzer this autumn?! But back to the dill pickles at hand...

Coming in at 5% ABV, Hard Pickle Seltzer has around about an average alcohol percentage for a seltzer. However, if you’re alcohol-free - popping some pickle juice in a SodaStream will probably do the trick! (Though don’t blame us if your SodaStream breaks or it tasted horrible - that’s on you buddy!)

Hold up a second, we’re hearing live from the studio that this isn’t even the first pickle seltzer on the scene! Deep Ellum Brewing Company has put out Blind Pickle Seltzer, Wild Acre Brewing Company has created Magic Brine Pickle Hard Seltzer, UpCountry Brewing has Dill Pickle Gose and (get this) Rio Fresco have a Dill Pickle Hard Seltzer with agave???!!! Is there some underground pickle club we don’t know about?

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to try Crook’dBru’s seltzer because CLEARLY we’re not cool enough to be in the SPS (Secret Pickle Society), but Jus Dil’Witit (Crook’dBru’s cowboy mascot) describes the taste as ‘tasty, tangy and downright zany’. Yee haw! Just the kind of thing we like over at The Three Drinkers! 

You can still pick up some Hard Pickle Seltzer over on Crook’dBru’s punny site - but it’s currently only shipping to the US (rest in peace our pickle dreams). If you’ve given this alcoholic carbonated pickle juice a go, PLEASE let us know what it tastes like via our social platforms @thethreedrinkers. 

Also, if you know the password to the Secret Pickle Society DM us ASAP. Yes, right now. Don’t ask questions.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 5%
Find here: $22 for a 12 pack

The Most Popular Cocktails This Summer

Picture it: the sun is shining, your friends are round and improvised appetisers are on the table. A flash of silver - what’s that? “Would anyone like a cocktail?” a cool voice calls out from the kitchen. The crowd pricks up their ears, who’s that sexy mixologist? It’s you, you’re the sexy mixologist. Shaker in hand, you begin to feel like a God… until you realise you don’t know any cocktail recipes.

Aha! Fear no more! There’s still hope for you to become the God of cocktail parties. Once you’ve got down the crowd pleasers, you need never worry again about accidentally getting Grandma plastered on your botched version of a ‘martini’. We’re here, armed with the nation's favourite cocktails to help you out.

10. Sangria

In at Number 10 is a tasty Spanish contribution - the Sangria! Essentially a red wine punch (though it can be especially tasty with white wine), the key to a great Sangria is the personal touch. Taste test with your favourite fruits and put together a family recipe to be passed down through the generations.

Ingredients

2 oranges, chopped
2 pears, chopped
2 lemons, 1 chopped, 1 juiced
200g red berries, chopped
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Ice
750ml bottle light red wine
100ml Spanish brandy
300ml sparkling water

Method

Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the chopped fruit in a large bowl. Stir to mix. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least an hour, but ideally overnight.
Fill up a large jug with ice. Stir the fruit mixture to ensure the sugar is dissolved and tip into the jug. Add the wine and brandy. Stir, then top up with the sparkling water and serve.

9. Long Island Iced Tea

Fun fact: Long Island Iced Tea is claimed to have been invented by TGIFriday’s, but as all origin stories go, this is widely refuted. Oh well, let’s let them have it. Popular in the 1980s and still hugely successful now - the Long Island Iced Tea packs a PUNCH. If you’ve got a lot of leftover spirits around, why not put them to use and mix one up yourself?!

Ingredients

15ml vodka
15ml white rum
15ml silver tequila
15ml gin
15ml triple sec
15ml simple syrup
15ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Cola
Garnish: lemon wedge

Method

Add the vodka, rum, tequila, gin, triple sec, simple syrup and lemon juice to a tall glass filled with ice. Top with the cola and briefly stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge and straw. Simple!

8. Old Fashioned

Making it into this list is proof that the Old Fashioned isn’t as musty as the name might make it sound. We Brits still love the combination of whisk(e)y, simple syrup and angostura bitters - as we should! Why not have a Mad Men (without the dodgy workplace environment) themed party and serve these up to your guests!

Ingredients

50 ml of Whisk(e)y or Bourbon
1 tbsp sugar syrup
2-3 dashes of angostura bitters
1 twist of orange peel to garnish

Method

Place the sugar syrup and bitters in a rocks glass. Add some of the whiskey and a few ice cubes and stir for 15-20 seconds to cool the alcohol and start the ice melting. Keep adding a little more whiskey, then a little more ice, and continue to stir. Sip as you go and stop when the dilution is to your taste.
Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

7. Negroni

Bella Italia! Mamma Mia! Use your best Italian while creating this beautifully complex cocktail - it was invented by one after all (to be precise it was Count Camillio Negroni in 1919 who asked for gin to be added to his Americano cocktail in Florence - the more you know!). 

Ingredients

25ml gin
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml Campari
orange slice, to garnish

Method

Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass with ice. Stir briefly. Garnish with a slice of orange.

6. Margarita

One of the most iconic (and delicious) cocktails to exist. Okay, maybe that was a bit biased - but the margarita is still a great cocktail to have under your belt! Close your eyes and transport yourself to Mexico/heaven. Also, if you’re using nice tequila for the love of the cocktail Gods DO NOT salt the rim - how are you going to taste that £50+ you just spent?

Ingredients

50m blanco tequila (or try a reposado if you’re feeling posh)
25ml lime juice
25ml Cointreau (or triple sec)
lime wedge for garnish

Method

Add tequila, lime juice and triple sec to a shaker with ice. Shake that baby until the sides feel icy. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with a slice of lime. 

5. Pornstar Martini

Who knew passionfruit was so naughty? The real question here is what to do with that dastardly prosecco shot. Do you drink it first? Drink it last? Add it to the cocktail? Drink it while drinking the cocktail? Chuck it at the next table? Leave it because the anxiety over how to drink it has got too much? ...yeah.

Ingredients

1 ripe passion fruit, halved
30ml vanilla vodka
30ml passion fruit liqueur
10ml lime juice
10ml sugar syrup
Prosecco, to serve

Method

Scoop the seeds from half of the passion fruit into the tin of a cocktail shaker, add the vodka, passion fruit liqueur, lime juice and sugar syrup. Add a handful of ice and shake well, strain into a martini glass and add half a passion fruit to each. Serve with a shot of prosecco and a pint glass of prosecco shot anxiety.

4. Sex on the Beach

Another naughty name! Goodness me… make sure when you’re asking someone if they’d like this cocktail that you remember to say ‘A’ Sex on the Beach rather than just ‘Sex on the Beach’. That could go very wrong ;). 

Ingredients

45ml vodka
30ml peach schnapps
60ml orange juice
60ml cranberry juice
Orange wedge, for garnish

Method

Fill a tall glass with ice and add the vodka, peach schnapps and orange juice. Stir briefly. Pour over the cranberry juice for that all important ombre effect. Garnish with a juicy orange wedge.

3. Espresso Martini

This one’s dropped in the ranks this year, it used to be the UK’s favourite cocktail! It’s still getting the bronze medal, however, and this is definitely a cocktail to master - for how easy it is, it looks really impressive!

Ingredients

50ml vodka
25ml freshly brewed espresso coffee
25ml coffee liqueur
10ml sugar syrup
3 coffee beans for garnish

Method

Pop your martini glass in the fridge to cool (or in the freezer if you want that pretty iced effect on the glass). Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice and shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with 3 perfectly placed coffee beans.

2. Piña Colada

Dreaming of beaches and pools, are we? Legend has it that if you take a sip of a Piña Colada, close your eyes and say coconut three times, you might hear the sea. Might is the key word there. If by some random occurrence you happen to have a spare hollowed out coconut, USE IT NOW! Oh and some of those cheesy tiny umbrellas.

Ingredients

120ml pineapple juice
60ml white rum
60ml cream of coconut
Wedge of pineapple to garnish

Method

Pulse all the ingredients along with a handful of ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with a wedge of pineapple.

1. Mojito

And the winner is….. A mojito! A mojito is a safe choice cocktail - you’re unlikely to mess it up (and if you do, just put on your sexy mixologist voice and drawl “that’s how it’s supposed to taste”). Not only that, but it’s delicious! 

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp granulated sugar
Small handful mint leaves, plus extra sprig to serve
60ml white rum
Soda water

Method

Muddle the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves in a small jug, crushing the mint as you go. Pour into a tall glass and add a handful of ice. Pour over the rum, stirring with a long-handled spoon. Top up with soda water, garnish with mint and serve.

Like what you see? Why not check out our other cocktail recipes to up your game!

The Best Japanese Whisky To Try

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Over the last decade, Japanese whisky has been growing in popularity all around the world to the extent that it would seem that it is a relatively new thing, but nothing could be further from the truth.

When was Japanese whisky first produced?

Japanese whisky distilling was started nearly one hundred years ago in 1923, by a man named Shinjiro Torri, and the whisky produced was called Yamazaki. Shinjiro had previously sent one of his employees, Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland to learn about distillation. He studied Chemistry at Glasgow University, and travelled in Scotland to distilleries, learning how to make whisky. One of these distilleries, which Helena, Aidy and I visited the former site of in episode five of The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky was Hazelburn in Campbeltown. Although Shinjiro Torri founded Yamazaki, it was Masataka’s skill that created the first Japanese whiskies.

What is the difference between Japanese and Scotch whisky?

Like Scotch, Japanese whisky has had its ups and downs, but over the years the quality of the spirit has become second to none. Although it is not Scotch, there are no differences in the basic principles in the production. There are some ambiguities over provenance though. Japanese whisky doesn’t by law have to be Japanese to be called Japanese. There has been a long history of blending whisky in Japan and one of the major components they use for blending is Scotch whisky. It is tricky therefore to know if you are buying true Japanese whisky or not. The simplest way to make sure is to buy single malt whisky from a named Japanese distillery, like Yamazaki, Yoichi or Hakushu. Here are some popular examples:

Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Distiller’s Reserve

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £68.95



Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £135 // US $199.99

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £795 // US $2,099

Yoichi Single Malt

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: UK £64.94 // US $139.99

Hakushu Single Malt Whisky Distiller’s Reserve

Size: UK 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £66.95

Hakushu 12 Year Old Single Malt

Size: US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: $199.99

Is Japanese whisky good?

The fact that Scotch whisky is used in some blends doesn’t mean to say the whiskies are not good whiskies, this is far from the truth, they can be very good, but you won’t be drinking Scotch. One of the most popular brands of blended Japanese whiskies is Hibiki, but this whisky only uses Japanese whisky in the blend and is of exceptional quality.

Why is Japanese whisky so expensive?

Like many Japanese whiskies, Hibiki used to be sold with an age statement, but with the huge popularity of Japanese whisky these days, they no longer have the aged stocks. For those brands that do, they have very little left which explains the prices. You will find that a traditional 12 year old Scotch can be bought for around £30 to £40 pounds, whilst a 12 year old Yamazaki is four times that. Some Japanese whiskies, although not old can command even higher prices and this can quite often be down to the oak which is used to mature the spirit in. Most whiskies are matured in ex bourbon barrels made of oak or ex Sherry barrels made of oak. In Japan, they sometimes use a rare and difficult to grow Japanese oak called Mizunara. A notable blended whisky that uses this wood is Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Hibiki uses single malt whiskies from Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries and grain whisky from the Chita distillery. They use whiskies that have been matured in American oak, Sherry casks and also Mizunara oak. As the name suggests, the whisky is a harmony of many different flavours and is light and elegant with honey, oranges and a herbaceous element.

Hibiki Japnese Harmony

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £69.95 // US $99.99

I think the above whisky is the best value for money if buying true Japanese whisky. However, if you have a special birthday coming, or just simply fancy pushing the boat out then Hibiki 30 year old is one of the greatest blended whiskies I have ever tasted.

Hibiki 30 year old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £5000

Like in Scotland there are closed distilleries in Japan and again, like in Scotland they have legendary status. None more so than Karuizawa distillery. Closed in the year 2000, bottles from this distillery will cost over £5,000 and in 2020 a bottle of 52 year old sold at auction for £363,000. If you fancy a bargain, you can find one over 30 years old here:

Karuizawa 34 Year Old Single Cask #6476

Size: 700ml
ABV: 63%
Find here: £6500

Whatever your budget, if you haven’t tried Japanese whisky before I strongly suggest you give it a go. It’s known, like the Japanese people, for its precision and elegance and is full of flavour. One of my favourite bottles is Nikka from the Barrel. A true Japanese whisky at a slightly higher than normal strength which packs in a lot of flavour. A great place to start a Japanese journey.

Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

Size: UK 500ml // US 750ml
ABV: 51.4%
Find here: UK £43.95 // US $89.99

There is a lot of hype around Japanese whisky, but from my experience, the hype is completely justified, as whisky distilled in Japan is absolute heaven.

If you enjoyed this then how about checking out these Traditional Japanese Drinks You HAVE To Try or if you would prefer to read more about Scotch whisky then check out The Best Scotch Whisky to Try This Year.

The Best Japanese Alcohol You NEED To Try This Summer

Love or hate it, Japanese cuisine is undoubtedly classy - and this goes for their alcohol too! While known for their whisky, Japan offers a whole host of other refined alcoholic drinks, including sake, gin and plum liqueur! Now is the perfect time to explore the wide and wonderful world of Japanese drinks, so take a look over our top picks and try something out this summer!

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

A long time favourite of the Japanese whisky loving community, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a delicately blended whisky made with malt whisky from Hakushu and Yamazaki distilleries and grain whisky from Chita distillery. It’s not just the beautiful cut glass bottle that makes this whisky so desirable, its tasting notes of honey, orange peel and dates make for a deliciously buttery, smooth sipping treat! With such a diverse range of flavours, this whisky certainly lives up to the ‘Harmony’ in its name and is light enough to be the perfect gift for a novice Japanese whisky drinker. 

Try with an orange rind and some soda water for a very harmonious highball!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £69.95 // US $99.99

Nikka Whisky From The Barrel

Whisky? From a barrel? Never…

Though the name may seem to be a friendly reminder as to how the whisky was made, Nikka’s intention with ‘Whisky From The Barrel’ is actually to make you feel as if you are one of the blenders trying the whisky straight ‘from the barrel’. Even the bottle itself oozes luxury, its simple white label reminiscent of an expensive perfume bottle - but with a much less hefty price tag! More than 100 different batches of malt and grain whiskies are blended to create a very rich and flavourful whisky. The notes of dried fruits, spices and caramel are present alongside a heavy kick of alcohol - so you might want to give it a go with an ice cube. However you choose to drink it though, Nikka Whisky is one to pop in your basket ASAP.

Size: UK 500ml // US 750ml
ABV: 51.4%
Find here: UK £43.95 // US $89.99

Roku Gin

Another beautiful bottle containing another beautiful drink… In English, Roku translates to the number six - which is the same number of local botanicals used alongside eight gin botanicals in Roku Gin. The Japanese yuzu fruit is a standout flavour among the botanicals, and the delicate balance of flavours makes Roku a gin you’ll want to take neat. However, cocktails fans despair not - it’s also been known to make an extremely delicious martini! Get your hands on one of these flower engraved bottles today and transport yourself to Japan without having to pay for a plane ticket!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £28.84 // US $35.99

Aldi Shirayuki Japanese Sake

Yep, you’re not going mad - that’s Aldi making their own exclusive sake (and selling it for a fiver - which is more than three times cheaper than the same size bottle at Selfridges)! Launched for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Aldi’s sake from Japan’s Itami region is being marketed as ‘an adventurous alternative to dry white wine’. While sake is the perfect companion to traditional Asian cuisine - Aldi’s even promoting it to be drunk alongside a cheeky fish and chips and we couldn’t agree with this match more! Check out our beginners guide to sake link at the bottom of the article to see what else sake pairs well with!

Unfortunately for our international friends, the Shirayuki Japanese Sake is only available in Aldi stores across the UK - but you’re very welcome to hop on a plane and grab a bottle! This release has got us super excited to see what Aldi’s got up its sleeve in the future...

Size: 300ml
Find here: In an Aldi store near you!

Akashi-Tai Shiraume Umeshu

Made from steeping plums in liquor and sugar, umeshu is often mislabelled as plum wine - it’s not wine made from fermented plums, it’s alcohol infused with plums. Umeshu is closer to a liqueur in how it's made, but in taste has been compared to a vermouth or a fortified wine. Though it’s pretty easy to make at home - Akashi-Tai Shiraume Umeshu is a properly tasty pick if you don’t want to wait the three months or more that infusion takes. Shiraume has been made with premium sake as the base alcohol. Take it chilled in the garden this summer, but look forward to drinking it warm for a cozy winter treat.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: UK £19.25 // US $25.99

Whatever you’re looking to drink to end the summer, Japan can offer something a bit different to spice up your cocktails and diversify your collection. There are loads more to discover than just our top picks, so make sure you share some of your favourite finds over on our socials at @thethreedrinkers! 

If you’d like to read about sake in more detail including recommended bottles and what to pair them with then check out our Beginner’s Guide to Sake!