Description More than a liqueur, this Umeshu (plum wine) sounds like a poem. Just look at its name, “Niwa no Uguisu” (literally, “the nightingales of the garden”), which pays homage to the birds that come to drink the pure water of Japanese gardens. The Fukuoka region (north coast of Kyūshū Island, southern Japan), where Yamaguchi has been established since 1832 (and eleven generations), is famous for the exceptional quality of its water, which is also ideal for growing rice. The company has perfected a method that is as simple as it is rigorous: high-quality green plums (the Oshuku variety) are rigorously selected before being soaked in homemade Kasutori shochu (made from sake lees) and then aged. The result is an elegant plum wine with notes of sweet almond and slightly tart plum. Dry on the palate, it retains all the freshness of the fruit, and that’s what makes it so unique. How to use: Enjoy “on the rocks” (with ice) or as a highball with sparkling water. Works equally well as an aperitif or dessert, to accompany a clafoutis for example, or simply as a conversation starter. With such a reasonable alcohol content (12%), we’d rather go back to it twice than once (but always in moderation). Storage: Glass bottle, store at room temperature, away from light. Ingredients: Ume (plum, which is actually an apricot)
