"For hundreds of years, shochu and awamori have dwelled near the center of Japan's vaunted culinary traditions. Despite outselling most other alcoholic beverages in Japan, however, these premium distilled treats have largely remained hidden from the rest of the world. But that is beginning to change. The Shochu Handbook is the first major reference published on the subject in a language other than Japanese and covers everything from how distilled beverages arrived in Japan to a step-by-step overview of the distilling process. There are also detailed chapters devoted to deciphering bottle labels, food pairing, serving styles, and speaking the language of these drinks. Packed with information, The Shochu Handbook also includes an extensive list of recommended bottles, a chapter devoted to cocktail and homemade liqueur recipes, and Japanese-English language assistance for everything from ordering shochu in a bar to telling the difference between single-distilled and multiple-distilled drinks."--Amazon.com.
**2020 James Beard Award Nominee** **2020 Gourmand Cookbook Award Winner for Japan in Spirits Books** Drink your way through Japan (even from home) with the help of this book! Japan is home to some of the world's most interesting alcoholic beverages--from traditional Sake and Shochu to Japanese whisky, beer, wine and cocktails that are winning global acclaim and awards. In this comprehensive survey of Japanese drinks, experts Stephen Lyman and Chris Bunting cover all the main types of beverages found in Japanese bars and restaurants, as well as supermarkets and liquor stores around the world. The book has chapters on Sake, Shochu, whisky, wine, beer, Awamori (a moonshine-like liquor from Okinawa), Umeshu plum wine and other fruit wines. There is also a fascinating chapter on modern Japanese-style cocktails--complete with recipes so you can get the authentic experience, including: Sour Plum Cordial Sakura Martini Improved Shochu Cocktail Far East Side Cocktail Thorough descriptions of the varieties of each beverage are given along with the history, production methods, current trends and how to drink them. Detailed bar and buyer's guides at the back of the book list specialist establishments where readers can go to enjoy and purchase the drinks, both in Japan and cities around the world, including London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Shanghai and more! This is an indispensable book for anyone interested in brewing, distilling, new cocktails or Japanese culture, travel and cuisine. Kampai! Cheers!
**2021 Gourmand Cookbook Award Winner for Japan in Spirits and Other Drinks** The Japanese Sake Bible is the ultimate book about Japan's national drink--from its history, culture and production methods to how to choose the best sake and recommended food pairings. Author Brian Ashcraft--the author of the popular guide Japanese Whisky--has put together lively commentaries based on dozens of interviews with master brewers and sake experts across Japan. His fascinating stories are accompanied by over 300 full-color photographs, maps and drawings. A unique feature of this book is that it includes reviews, tasting notes, scores and a buying guide for over 100 of the leading sake brands, written by respected Japanese sake expert Takashi Eguchi. These include all the sakes most commonly found outside Japan. Each sake has a photo of the label, tasting notes, a score and recommended food pairings. Information on the leading brewers is provided, and the sakes are grouped by flavor profile. Japanese sake is brewed worldwide today and is winning over many converts. A foreword by sake connoisseur and world-renowned DJ Richie Hawtin addresses the spread in global popularity and the shared mission of making this specialty beverage as accessible as possible. With the help of this book you'll soon become an expert in selecting, serving and enjoying Japan's favorite drink.
HANDBOOK OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES A comprehensive two-volume set that describes the science and technology involved in the production and analysis of alcoholic beverages HANDBOOK OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Technical, Analytical and Nutritional Aspects At the heart of all alcoholic beverages is the process of fermentation, particularly alcoholic fermentation, whereby sugars are converted to ethanol and many other minor products. The Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages tracks the major fermentation process, and the major chemical, physical and technical processes that accompany the production of the world’s most familiar alcoholic drinks. Indigenous beverages and small-scale production are also covered to a significant extent. The overall approach is multidisciplinary, reflecting the true nature of the subject. Thus, aspects of biochemistry, biology (including microbiology), chemistry, health science, nutrition, physics and technology are all necessarily involved, but the emphasis is on chemistry in many areas of the book. Emphasis is also on more recent developments and innovations, but there is sufficient background for less experienced readers. The approach is unified, in that although different beverages are dealt with in different chapters, there is extensive cross-referencing and comparison between the subjects of each chapter. Appropriate for food professionals working in the development and manufacture of alcohol-based drinks, as well as academic and industrial researchers involved in the development of testing methods for the analysis and regulation of alcohol in the drinks industry. Divided into five parts, this comprehensive two-volume work presents: INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND AND HISTORY: a simple introduction to the history and development of alcohol and some recent trends and developments. FERMENTED BEVERAGES: BEERS, CIDERS, WINES AND RELATED DRINKS: the latest innovations and aspects of the different fermentation processes used in beer, wine, cider, liqueur wines, fruit wines, low-alcohol and related beverages. SPIRITS: covers distillation methods and stills used in the production of whisky, cereal- and cane-based spirits, brandy, fruit spirits and liqueurs. ANALYTICAL METHODS: covering the monitoring of processes in the production of alcoholic beverages, as well as sample preparation, chromatographic, spectroscopic, electrochemical, physical, sensory and organoleptic methods of analysis. NUTRITION AND HEALTH ASPECTS RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: includes a discussion on nutritional aspects, both macro- and micro-nutrients, of alcoholic beverages, their ingestion, absorption and catabolism, the health consequences of alcohol, and details of the additives and residues within the various beverages and their raw materials.
The Sake Handbook is the foremost guide to the history, brewing, and distinctive flavors of sake. Just what are jizake, namazake and ginjoshu? The Sake Handbook answers all these questions and many more about sake wine, and will help you enjoy Japan's national beverage in style. Author John Gauntner is recognized as the world's leading non-Japanese sake expert. A longtime Japan resident, he is well known among sake brewers and others within the sake industry. He wrote the Nihonshu Column in the Japan Times for many years before writing a weekly column on sake in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's and the world's most widely distributed Japanese newspaper. In 2006, John received the Sake Samurai award. He has published five books on sake including Sake Confidential This sake book features: This new edition has been completely revised and updated Gives you all the information you need in an handy, portable format Offers a detailed explanation of the sake brewing process Reviews over a hundred sake brands, with illustrations of their labels for easy identification Profiles over 50 Japanese izakaya or pub-style restaurants in Tokyo and the surrounding environs Lists specialty shops in Japan where you can purchase hard-to-find Japanese wine brands Lists specialty retailers in the United States and elsewhere
Vinegars can be considered as acidic products of special importance for the enri- ment of our diet, and resulting from the desired or controlled oxidation of ethanol containing (liquid) substrates. The traditional use and integration of vinegars in numerous cultures can be traced back to ancient times. In fact, the cultural heritage of virtually every civilization includes one or more vinegars made by the souring action (of micro-organisms) following alcoholic fermentation. It has been do- mented that the Egyptians, Sumerians and Babylonians had experience and tech- cal knowledge in making vinegar from barley and any kind of fruit. Vinegar was very popular both in ancient Greece and Rome, where it was used in food prepa- tions and as remedy against a great number of diseases. In Asia, the first records about vinegar date back to the Zhou Dynasty (1027-221 BC) and probably China’s ancient rice wines may have originally been derived from fruit, for which (malted) rice was substituted later. The historical and geographical success of vinegars is mainly due to the low technology required for their production, and to the fact that several kinds of raw materials rich in sugars may easily be processed to give vinegar. In addition, vi- gars are well-known and accepted as safe and stable commodities that can be c- sumed as beverages, health drinks or added to food as preservatives or as flavo- ing agents.
"There isn't another guide on the market like it."--Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book. The first, most definitive guide to the exciting revolution happening in the world of Japanese whisky! "Japanese single malts have achieved cult status around the world," wrote Eric Asimov in the New York Times. Indeed, Japanese whiskies have become some of the most sought after and highly valued whiskies in the world. They have blended and melded traditional Scotch and American methods with new ideas, and imbued the whisky with exotic flavors from local Japanese woods to make a unique and signature product that not only rings true of whisky, but also speaks to Japanese terroir. In international competitions they have bested the traditional producer, and they have become absolutely the object of affection in the distilled spirits world! Now here in Whisky Rising, whisky authority and Japanese whisky expert Stefan Van Eycken takes you on a guided tour to some of the most coveted whiskies in the world. This elegant book includes: *Fascinating interviews and profiles with the most celebrated distillers and blenders *Behind-the-scenes look into past and present distilleries *An insider's guide to the best whisky bars *How to drink whisky properly and cocktail recipes *Tasting notes and reviews of THE best Japanese whiskies
This introductory handbook to sake presents over 100 brands for all tastes and budgets, tips for beginners and connoisseurs, and an explanation of the brew-master's skills. The history and intricacies of sake are revealed as well as a list of producers, restaurants and retail outlets in Japan. Anyone who has ever been to Japan has probably fallen under the spell of a soothing cup of sake at one time or another. An encounter with Japan's favorite libation is bound to be memorable, yet despite its growing popularity worldwide, information on this eminently drinkable
