Podcast

INTRO

In episode 77 our host Stephen Lyman sits down to chat with lawyer turned chef turned lobbyist John McCarthy to discuss the end of the soju label rule for NY and CA. Of course, they also talk shochu, hospitality, and plenty else.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher absolutely dispise the soju label rule that has guided beverage alcohol service in California and NY for far too long. So glad that it’s gone.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen via Twitter or Instagram @JapanDistilled. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Lawyer Turned Chef Turned Lobbyist

Special Guest John McCarthy

John McCarthy graduated from law school and immediately began working long hours and difficult cases. Over nearly 2 decades of law practice he realized he would rather be doing something else and that was cooking. Trained at the French Culinary Institute, Chef Johnny Mac worked for Wylie Dufrense at the legendary WD50 before setting off on his own when he opened The Crimson Sparrow in Hudson, NY.

The Crimson Sparrow was without a doubt one of the best culinary experiences available in the United States while it was open, but it sadly closed a year before the pandemic. Chef John opened the modern izakaya Oka in Manhattan, which was a great time while it lasted.

During the pandemic John became an officer with the New York Japanese Restaurant Association where he worked tirelessly to provide guidance to Japanese restaurant and bar owners on how to navigate NY’s constantly evolving COVID guidelines for restaurants.

Along side that work he was retained by the Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers to lobby both the NY and CA legislatures to change their soju label rules.

Soju Label Rule (California)

In 1998 Korean lobbyists successfully got a carve out for Korean Soju in the California liquor licensing rules so that soju could be sold with a beer and wine license if <25% ABV. Japanese lobbyists quickly gained approval for Honkaku Shochu labeled as soju to be sold under the same carve out.

As we discussed in Episode 40 about Silly Liquor Laws, this has resulted in 25 years of market confusion, because shochu packaged as soju for the US market has been sold in all 50 states (or at least those that have any shochu at all).

John worked with 2 key legislators (one for Torrance and one for Little Tokyo) to get this rule changed. Today shochu <25% ABV can be sold as shochu rather than soju under California’s label rule. The soju label rule is dead and gone at long last.

Soju Label Rule (New York)

Korean lobbyists followed their success in CA to get NY to pass a similar rule. Japanese lobbyists were not able to follow through in this state until John McCarthy joined the fight. John actually had this law overturned before California by working with a state representative with offices across from the former Crimson Sparrow location. The NY soju label law is also relegated to the dustbin of history.

Much More to Explore

John can be found on Instagram @chefjdmc3 or you can see his other talent – painting – @sparrow_suzume_art.

Kanpai & Aloha!

INTRO

In episode 76 our host Stephen Lyman sits down with chef turned distiller Hamish Nugent of Reed & Co. Distillery to talk trial and error, success, and the very first Australian Shochu.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award. He’s also producing a documentary about shochu, The Spirit of Japan, expected to arrive at festivals in 2024.

Stephen and Christopher enjoy seeking out new and interesting shochu distilleries around the world. Their curiosity is definitely peeked by the first Australian Shochu!

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen via Twitter or Instagram @JapanDistilled. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Australian Shochu

Special Guest Hamish Nugent

Growing up on a biodynamic farm in coastal Australia, it might not be all the surprising to find that Hamish Nugent’s escape from that rural life was through the kitchen. What is less expected is that he and partner Rachel Reed would create the first ever commercial Australian Shochu.

In Bright, Victoria, a ski village of about 2,500 souls, Rachel and Hamish have been successful with hospitality across a number of restaurants and bars, most notably, Tani. Sadly, Tani has now closed, but they now have opened the Reed & Co. Distillery, which includes, of course, a distillery, but also a taproom, restaurant, and bar.

Reed & Co. Distillery

Hamish and Rachel discovered koji during their careers as chefs after being exposed to Japanese culinary traditions through a mentor. The interest grew into making their own soy sauce and miso and even using koji to quick cure meat (an entire side of beef?!?!? – Oh, Australia, don’t ever change). When they decided to open their distillery in 2016, koji spirits were a natural focus, though in this they were humbled.

All they had learned about how to use koji to cure food and create umami in the kitchen did not translate directly to the still. Their early experiments were very mushroom forward, which would be interesting for a first sip, but might not lead you to want another. Nevertheless, they began laying down thousands of liters of shochu and needed something to do with it so they created both a yuzu and a chilli liqueur.

Much more recently, they have released their very first authentic shochu, which also it turns out is the first Australian Shochu, simply called Reed & Co. Distillery Rice Shochu. At 30% ABV and 100% vacuum distilled rice, it should be a nice gateway for the Australian consumer. Retails for $55 AUS for 500ml if you can track it down.

Much More to Explore

If you would like to learn more about Reed & Co. Distillery please visit their website or find them on social media @reedandcodistillery on Instagram and perhaps elsewhere.

Kanpai!

INTRO

In episode 75 our hosts at long last profile the iconic and iconoclastic Chuko Distillery in Okinawa.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher are enormous fans of Chuko and everything they do.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Instgram. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Chuko Distillery

Established in 1949 by Chuko Oshiro, the Tomigusuku Distillery just south west of Naha City on the main island of Okinawa, is a medium sized awamori maker (900 kL/year) that certainly punches above its weight in no small part due to the passionate and talented president.

As with all awamori, Chuko uses 100% black koji inoculated rice to make all of their traditional spirits. Where they stand out from the 46 other active awamori makers is in their innovation. They’ve cultivated their own yeast strains, experimented with different koji propagation duration and temperature, and have even used Japanese domestic rice, which creates a wildly different expression than the industry standard of long grain Thai rice.

But where Chuko perhaps stands out most is in their revival of Tomigusuku pottery. With nearly a dozen potter’s wheels and 4 industrial kilns, Chuko makes all of their own ceramic aging pots – both those used in their aging warehouse and those sold to customers for home aging. The distillery began production of their ceramics in 1989 after 6 years of experimentation to find the right clay mixture, designs, and firing methods. Essentially all other awamori makers use the same ceramics all sourced from brokers. Chuko alone makes their own.

Visiting

Fortunately, Chuko is not far from the International Airport in Naha. If you’re feeling flush, you can take a taxi. If you’d rather save your yen, then take the Monorail to the nearest station and then walk about 15 minutes or figure out the local bus routes.

Walk-ins are welcome, but if you’re going as a group its probably good to call ahead (Japanese only so use your concierge or a local guide). This will likely open up the tasting bar that is not open to walk-ins.

Definitely pick the ceramic you love most and take it home. You won’t regret it. We’ve never regretted a dime we’ve spent in their shop.

Brands Discussed

Chuko (30% ABV) This is the flagship brand for the Chuko Distillery and the one most likely to be found in liquor stores around Japan. Available in both standard (aged <3 years) and kusu (aged 3+ years) versions, this is very representative of awamori as a category.

Chuko Kusu (43% ABV) Aged Chuko bottled as storage strength can run up to hundreds of dollars. It is typically bottled at 3, 5, 10, and 15 years of age though the older ages are harder to find and much more expensive.

Yume Koukai (30% ABV) This vacuum distilled expression is made with sake yeast, giving it a distinct green apple aroma. The brand name was revived from mothballed awamori, but with new anime-esque packaging and a very unusual fruit forward profile. Lovely with sparkling water.

Yokka Koji (43% ABV) Yokka Koji is, as Christopher says in the episode, a shapeshifter. It presents grain, fruit, dairy, and toasted coconut. The unique (and largely secret) 4 day koji process makes this a singularly unique awamori. The president recommends drinking it as a frozen shot. Stephen thinks it improves any vodka cocktail on the planet.

Yokka Koji Mango Yeast (43% ABV) This one may be hard to find as its only made periodically and it sells out very fast, but if you happen across a bottle try it or buy it. All of the interesting character of Yokka Koji with a completely unexpected yeast profile.

Much More to Explore

As always, there is more to learn from listening to the episode or following Stephen and Christopher social media.

Kari!

INTRO

In episode 74 our host Stephen Lyman sits down with author of Whisky Rising, Stefan VanEycken in Tokyo. They discuss Stefan’s whisky journey, his book, and the state of Japanese whisky in 2024.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher love fine whiskies regardless of where they are made, but rely 1st and foremost on Stefan for the latest info on Japanese whisky.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen via Twitter or Instagram @JapanDistilled. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Right Place, Right Time

Special Guest Stefan VanEycken

Belgium native Stefan VanEycken arrived in Japan at precisely the right time, because it was the wrong time to be a fan of Japanese whisky. A music educator, Stefan came to Japan to study music, but in his exploration of the country, he discovered whisky distilleries hidden plain sight.

He had a nose for the stuff having been a resident of Scotland before moving to Tokyo in 2000. He soon discovered the Hakushu Distillery and then the Karuizawa Distillery and others. These “dark ages” of Japanese whisky, when distilleries had either shuttered or were operating only seasonally or 1 to 2 days a week, opened up a world of possibility for Stefan who soon found himself writing for Nonjatta, the premier English language resource for Japanese whisky at the time.

During this time he was able to find affordable long age stated Japanese whiskies at a small fraction of what they command today. He and partner Chris Bunting guided Nonjatta through the glory days of the rise of Japanese whisky, but the information proved too valuable as other whisky writers, some of whom had never even visited Japan, began using their website to write about Japan’s whisky scene. The site was shuttered in 2020 with no eye toward restarting. The original articles do remain for perusal if you are interested.

Whisky Rising is Born

Stefan was finally convinced to write Whisky Rising, the first definitive guide to Japanese whisky ever written. This magnificent book was published in 2017 with a 2nd (and likely last) edition published in 2023 for the 100th anniversary of Japanese whisky making. At the time he was writing the 1st edition, there were fewer than 20 active whisky distilleries in Japan. By the time he was writing his 2nd, there were over 40. By sometime this year there will be over 100. The task of visiting all and writing a comprehensive guide has likely become far too difficult for one person.

Ghostly Bottles

With his access to distilleries at role at Nonjatta, Stefan began bottling private casks of whisky for Nonjatta readers and later for other fans of the category. Today his Ghost Series has climbed to more than 20 bottlings and even incomplete sets are commanding thousands of dollars. The fetishization of Japanese whisky does not appeal to Stefan, but given the state of whisky collectors and speculators, the trend does not seem to be ending anytime soon. He will continue to bottle ghost series bottles and try to democratize how they are distributed (a recent bottling was only available via lottery after qualifying for a stamp rally by visiting a number of whisky bars throughout Japan).

Much More to Explore

Stefan is not easy to find on social media, but if you would like to follow his work, he writes for Whisky Magazine UK and Whisky Magazine France. Our co-host Stephen admits, he’s kind of jealous of Stefan for avoiding social entirely.

Kanpai & Aloha!

INTRO

In episode 73 our host Stephen Lyman visits Aloha Whisky Bar in the Ikebukuro neighborhood of Tokyo. He and owner David Tsujimoto talk whisky discovery, the journey to bar ownership, and the state of Japanese whisky in 2024.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher love fine whiskies regardless of where they are made, but authenticity is a key aspect. They first visited Aloha Whisky together during the pandemic and it is now their preferred whisky bar in Tokyo.

If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen via Twitter or Instagram @JapanDistilled. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

What is Aloha Whisky Bar?

Special Guest David Tsujimoto

David is a Hawaiian of Japanese decent who followed a girl to Japan and never left. In 2017 he fell in love with Japanese whisky through a bottle of Hakushu 12 and has never looked back. In 2019, he decided his 1,500 bottle whisky collection needed to be shared with friends so he opened Aloha Whisky. There was such a deep need for this kind of casual, friendly whisky by in Tokyo that in 2020 Aloha Whisky was named Bar of the Year by Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky awards.

To follow him on social, search for Aloha Whisky on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (Stephen’s still locked out so not linking to that one).

Today David’s bar has become one of the top meeting places for Japanese whisky lovers in Tokyo. His regular customers include whisky curious Japanese, fanatical expats including Mac Salman from Kanpai Planet and Whisky Rising author Stefan VanEycken, and others. His irregular customers are foreign travelers who discovered him on Instagram and just had to try what he’s offering. A truly amazing experience.

On my first visit back in 2021, I was fortunate enough to try a birth year Ben Nevis grain whisky, a 20 year old Springbank, a Springbank local barley, and a single cask bottling from Chichibu.

No pretension. Reasonable prices. Hawaiian hospitality. It’s a wonderful place to have a dram or 4.

The State of Japanese Whisky in 2024

As I sit here sipping on the last dram from a bottle of Kirin’s Fuji Sanroku signature blended whisky, I am thinking about the discussions I have had over the past month or so with David, Mac, Stefan VanEycken (teaser: next episode), Billy Abbott from The Whisky Exchange, and distiller extraordinaire Brendan McCarron and I can’t help but think that Japanese whisky is at a crossroads. With over 100 new distilleries opening over the past 10-15 years and suddenly flattening sales overseas, there may be a glut of new whisky hitting the market soon. David and I reflect on this potential crisis in our discussion. See what we have to say.

David’s Current Obsessions

At the end of the episode, I asked David for 3 bottles he’s currently obsessed with. He responded quickly and decisively and here they are.

A Ghost Series 9 year old Chichibu aged in Saison casks (61% ABV). The Ghost Series are private bottlings from Stefan VanEycken released periodically as he finds interesting casks to bottle. His close relationship with Chichibu’s owner and distiller Ichiro Atuko led him to this beauty.

Suntory Pure Malt Whisky First Edition. A legendary 1986 bottling. David’s opened the last bottle he’s willing to part with so if you want to try it, you better hurry to Aloha Whisky ASAP. Sadly, I left without getting a pour. C’est la vie.

The Boutique-y Whisky Company’s Pendryn 6 year, batch #2 (50% ABV). Proving that Aloha Whisky is much more than a Japanese whisky bar, David has some of the most interesting international bottlings you’ll find anywhere. This one is an absolute fruit bomb that will surprise anyone who claims they don’t like whisky, but do like pina coladas.

Much More to Explore

As always, there is more to learn from listening to the episode or following Stephen, Christopher, and David on social media.

Kanpai & Aloha!