[Japan 2020] A Beginner Guide to Japanese Drinks (Beer, Sake & Umeshu)
The 5 must-try drinks for your trip in Japan!
Disclaimer: When I say drinks, I mean alcoholic drinks...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
One (important) thing I love about Japan is...
You can get sake everywhere! Anytime! A wide range of variety!
And it's super affordable!! (not like here T_T)
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
Sake 101: 5 Must-try Japanese Drinks!
🍺 Craft Beer
🍸 Chu-hi & High ball
🍶 Sake (Rice wine)
🍾 Sparkling Sake
🥃 Umeshu (Plum wine)
Of course, there is still more variety since I only introduce what came to my liking. For instance, Japanese whisky and shochu are not really my things >_<
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
First, for beer lovers:
I enjoy ASAHI and KIRIN beer too but they are already well-known.
Chu-Hi is a mix of shochu + soda drink.
It usually has a fruity aroma and sweet taste so it's popular among Japanese women and even oversea (I see them quite often in HK) It's around 200 yen for one and usually contains 3~9% of alcohol.
Personal recommendation:
Grapefruit flavour tastes rather bitter.
Grape & Peach are often sweeter.
Wanna get tipsy? Get those marked with 9% or "STRONG" (¬‿¬ )
As for High ball, it's usually a mix of whiskey/rum and soda drinks.
Alcohol taste is stronger than Chu-hi.
~~~☆*:.｡🍻｡.:*☆~~~
Sake, the Japanese rice wine 🍶
The phrase Sake definitely means Japanese rice wine in English.
However, in Japanese, it referred to alcoholic beverages in general~
There are different levels of sake in terms of quality.
In general, it's Ginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Daiginjo to the highest Junmai Daiginjo.
The rice polishing plays an important role in the classification of sake, search more online if you're interested!
My love for sake is stupidly simple:
1. Rich taste of rice & smooth texture
2. Pretty bottle designblue one is da best
3. Higher percentage of alcohol ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Below are some famous sake brands that I know.
Don't forget the price is not only related to the brand but also the awards, classification, quality & etc.
Here's a photo of my birthday gift - blue sake and sake set :D
Where to get sake?
Sake is very common in Japan, look in supermarket or wine shops. You can get a good deal in Don Quijote too.
It's also easy to spot sake in Hong Kong, e.g. those Japanese specialty shops (e.g. Don Quijote) or supermarkets like Aeon and Citysuper.
Special recommend Jesben Wine where you can order various sake online. Price looks expensive but it's worth buying on promotion - the cheapest I got was HK$60 for a 500ml sake. I really didn't get paid for this hahaha
Malaysia... heh......T_T
There's one Japanese restaurant that serves good grilled pork belly rice & sake.
Price is quite reasonable, RM30 for 300ml.
Serve in tokkuri, can choose either chilled or warm.
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
Personally, I like Sparkling Sake the most!
It tastes the best while it's chilled, so crisp and refreshing~
My first sparkling sake is MIO, easy & cheap to get.
Shichiken is another famous brand specializes in sparkling sake.
I only tried once in Sake Walk... really good...(´┓`*)
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
Umeshu, the plum wine!
A thick texture, fruity & sweet aroma, kind of like dessert liqueur.
Wider acceptance among non-drinkers I think.
One of the most popular brands would be Choya.
It's commonly seen in the convenience store too.
And it's super affordable!! (not like here T_T)
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
Sake 101: 5 Must-try Japanese Drinks!
🍺 Craft Beer
🍸 Chu-hi & High ball
🍶 Sake (Rice wine)
🍾 Sparkling Sake
🥃 Umeshu (Plum wine)
Of course, there is still more variety since I only introduce what came to my liking. For instance, Japanese whisky and shochu are not really my things >_<
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
First, for beer lovers:
I enjoy ASAHI and KIRIN beer too but they are already well-known.
Japanese craft beer!
Not your ordinary mass-produced can of beer, craft beer is for those who like their drinks specially prepared by independent breweries. It echoes the Japanese spirit of craftsmanship in which the effort of locally handcrafted products is valued!
Craft beer bars are popular in Japan, you can find them easily in Tokyo especially in those nightlife districts like Ebisu and Koenji. Beer is the best when they are fresh from the tap! (^q^)
Here's one bar that I visited in Tokyo: YONA YONA BEER WORKS, a popular craft beer bar chain that offers a wide range variety of local craft beers. It has a few branches across Tokyo.
I've also tried a few from the supermarket, here's my favorite :D
Feeling thirsty now? Check out the Top 10 Japanese Craft Beer Bars in Tokyo where you can experience Japanese drinking culture and try some tasty brews for your trip in Japan! Maybe one of the bars will become your favorite drinking spot! :D
~~~☆*:.｡🍻｡.:*☆~~~
Not your ordinary mass-produced can of beer, craft beer is for those who like their drinks specially prepared by independent breweries. It echoes the Japanese spirit of craftsmanship in which the effort of locally handcrafted products is valued!
 |
| Source: Internet |
Craft beer bars are popular in Japan, you can find them easily in Tokyo especially in those nightlife districts like Ebisu and Koenji. Beer is the best when they are fresh from the tap! (^q^)
Here's one bar that I visited in Tokyo: YONA YONA BEER WORKS, a popular craft beer bar chain that offers a wide range variety of local craft beers. It has a few branches across Tokyo.
 |
| Yona Yona Ale & Suiyobi no Neko (Wednesday's Cat) Around 450~480 yen for a half-pint. I prefer the latter because it's lighter~ |
 |
| Flavour profile of different Japanese craft beer brands. |
I've also tried a few from the supermarket, here's my favorite :D
 |
| The Karuizawa Beer Premium Clear ☆ |
Feeling thirsty now? Check out the Top 10 Japanese Craft Beer Bars in Tokyo where you can experience Japanese drinking culture and try some tasty brews for your trip in Japan! Maybe one of the bars will become your favorite drinking spot! :D
~~~☆*:.｡🍻｡.:*☆~~~
If you prefer a lighter/sweeter taste, there are 2 common types of Japanese cocktail you can find easily in the form of can drinks:
Chu-Hi & High Ball
Chu-Hi & High Ball
Chu-Hi is a mix of shochu + soda drink.
It usually has a fruity aroma and sweet taste so it's popular among Japanese women and even oversea (I see them quite often in HK) It's around 200 yen for one and usually contains 3~9% of alcohol.
Personal recommendation:
Grapefruit flavour tastes rather bitter.
Grape & Peach are often sweeter.
Wanna get tipsy? Get those marked with 9% or "STRONG" (¬‿¬ )
 |
| Horoyoi from Suntory (Source: Internet) |
 |
| Hyoketsu by Kirin (Source: Internet) |
As for High ball, it's usually a mix of whiskey/rum and soda drinks.
Alcohol taste is stronger than Chu-hi.
 |
| (Source: Internet) |
 |
| Lemon high ball in Sukiya! |
 |
| Kizakura yuzu high ball~ The citrus flavour is so refreshing! Got it for almost RM40 in Malaysia T_T |
~~~☆*:.｡🍻｡.:*☆~~~
Sake, the Japanese rice wine 🍶
The phrase Sake definitely means Japanese rice wine in English.
However, in Japanese, it referred to alcoholic beverages in general~
 |
| Sake barrel, sometimes you can see at the Japanese shrine. Source: Photo by Erik Eastman on Unsplash |
There are different levels of sake in terms of quality.
In general, it's Ginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Daiginjo to the highest Junmai Daiginjo.
The rice polishing plays an important role in the classification of sake, search more online if you're interested!
My love for sake is stupidly simple:
1. Rich taste of rice & smooth texture
2. Pretty bottle design
3. Higher percentage of alcohol ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
 |
| Tried so many kinds of sake in sake walk (^q^) What a wonderful festival hahaha |
Below are some famous sake brands that I know.
Don't forget the price is not only related to the brand but also the awards, classification, quality & etc.
 |
| Kubota |
 |
| Dasai |
A Kyoto-made sake I brought back to Malaysia!
It costed less than 1000 yen in Don Quijote.
It costed less than 1000 yen in Don Quijote.
Here's a photo of my birthday gift - blue sake and sake set :D
Where to get sake?
Sake is very common in Japan, look in supermarket or wine shops. You can get a good deal in Don Quijote too.
It's also easy to spot sake in Hong Kong, e.g. those Japanese specialty shops (e.g. Don Quijote) or supermarkets like Aeon and Citysuper.
Special recommend Jesben Wine where you can order various sake online. Price looks expensive but it's worth buying on promotion - the cheapest I got was HK$60 for a 500ml sake. I really didn't get paid for this hahaha
Malaysia... heh......T_T
There's one Japanese restaurant that serves good grilled pork belly rice & sake.
Price is quite reasonable, RM30 for 300ml.
Serve in tokkuri, can choose either chilled or warm.
 |
| Kushiya Restaurant at Sunway Geo Avenue |
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
Personally, I like Sparkling Sake the most!
It tastes the best while it's chilled, so crisp and refreshing~
My first sparkling sake is MIO, easy & cheap to get.
 |
| I fell in love with just one sip (Source: Internet) |
 |
| A wine shop in Tokyo. |
 |
| White MIO is the "dry" version, got it for HK$ 40 in Hong Kong |
Shichiken is another famous brand specializes in sparkling sake.
I only tried once in Sake Walk... really good...(´┓`*)
 |
| Shichiken Hoshi no Kagayaki The name means starry sky in Japanese It does have a clear sparkling taste like twinkle twinkle little stars °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° The price is also like reaching for the star... :') |
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
Umeshu, the plum wine!
A thick texture, fruity & sweet aroma, kind of like dessert liqueur.
Wider acceptance among non-drinkers I think.
 |
| Source: Internet |
One of the most popular brands would be Choya.
 |
| Source: Internet |
It's commonly seen in the convenience store too.
 |
| Only in Japan, alcohol is sell in mini juice box XD |
~~~☆*:.｡🥂｡.:*☆~~~
That's all~ Hope you'll enjoy sake like how I do :D
Cheers~ 🍸
Things to do in Tokyo
🌸
~Check out my other posts about Japan~
Things to do in Tokyo
Food Review: Cafe Ron Ron in Harajuku
Kimono Rental Experience in Asakusa, Tokyo
Kimono Rental Experience in Kyoto
Udon-making Experience in Kagawa
SAKE 101: A Beginner Guide to Japanese Drinks
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