We Are Tomodachi Summer 2018
16/32

16president Mitsuhiro Takahashi said,“Our main product is rice shochu.At the World Fair, we introducednihonshu as a brewed beverage andrice shochu as distilled. Both aremade from rice—Japan’s principalcrop. We offered a tasting of riceshochu with sushi to show visitorshow well it pairs. It was quite a hit.”After the positive response in2015, TAKAHASHI SHUZO’sEuropean exports increased 112.5%the following year. In 2017, theyear-over-year growth rate rose to268.5% and continues upward. InEurope, they currently export tothe U.K., the Netherlands, Belgium,and Sweden, and the number ofcountries is increasing.Distillers are exploring new waysto bring shochu to the Westernworld, including a craft gin usingsweet potato shochu as its base calledYuzugin from Kyoya Distiller andBrewer Co., Ltd.“We wanted to propose a newspirit that one could enjoy likewhiskey or brandy at a bar. Yuzuginoffers a clear, fresh flavor with abalance between sweet potato andcitrusy yuzu both sourced fromKyushu. Perfect before, during, orafter meals. Yuzugin has gainedpopularity in the U.K. After tryingthe shochu-based gin, many haveshown interest in shochu.”—ShinichiroWatanabe, President of KyoyaDistiller and Brewer Co., Ltd.Negotiations for the EPA startedin 2013 and were fi nalized in 2017.Once in effect, lower tariffs willapanese sake. In the Westernworld, it usually refers tonihonshu. In Japan, however, sakemeans alcohol, and shochu is anothertraditional Japanese sake for theworld to explore.The distilled spirit with a fi vehundred-year history is fermentedwith a koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae)before distillation. Its medley ofingredients gives it distinctivecharacteristics, including complexfl avors and aromas.Made from sweet potatoes, soba,barley, rice, or brown sugar, shochubrings a new proposition to thetable as a spirit (alcohol contentbetween 25% and 45%) that canbe served with food. A new categoryin the beverage world.Nihonshu, as a form of wine, iseasier to pair with food from aWestern perspective, making iteasier to market. However, shochustands to hold its own on the globalgourmet scene.Japan’s southern island of Kyushuis home to many distilleries, includingTAKAHASHI SHUZO CO., LTD,which introduced its rice shochu atthe Expo Milan 2015. The companyJPairing TAKAHASHI SHUZO rice shochu with sushiat the Expo Milan 2015. This new categoryof alcoholic beverage captivated Italian bartenders.With the Japan-European UnionEconomic Partnership Agreement (EPA),shochu stands to find its place in the world marketThe EPA BringsShochu into the EUUPDATE

元のページ  ../index.html#16

このブックを見る