The World Whisky Forum went to Asia and Japan for the first time this year, from February 19-21, 2024. Thanks to the extreme generosity of the hosts at the beautiful Komoro Distillery in Nagano, I had the privilege of attending the event as press. What is World Whisky Forum? It’s important to first highlight that […] The post Event Report: World Whisky Forum 2024 appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

In January, Miyazaki Prefecture and JSS recently hosted five bartenders from the US and Japan to experience Miyazaki’s shochu culture. Their trip was nightcapped with an industry event at The Tokyo Edition’s Gold Bar, where they shared their thoughts on Miyazaki shochu and cocktail menu management in general. And, of course, they also made some […] The post Event Report: Miyazaki Shochu Experience appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

It’s official: yearly Japanese whisky exports have declined, ending a 15-year growth streak. New figures released this past week from Japan Customs shows the total volume of whisky exported from Japan in 2023 was 12.9 million liters, and the total value was just over 50 billion yen. That’s compared to 14.2 million liters at 56 […] The post Did the Japanese whisky bubble just pop? appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Japan’s #2 whisky maker, Nikka, has officially announced price increases slated to go into effect on April 1, 2024. The move follows price increases announced by their competitor, Suntory, just a few weeks back. Surely you know the drill by now. Nikka is citing increased costs for ingredients, packaging, energy, and transport as the reasons […] The post Nikka increasing Japanese Whisky prices by up to 56% appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Tonight we’ll do a rapid-fire introduction of a handful of bars in Tokyo that I recently visited as part of Tokyo Cocktail 7 Days, a citywide celebration of the cocktail. What is Cocktail 7 Days As we sit down at the bar, it’s best to introduce the event itself. Tokyo Cocktail 7 Days (TC7D) is […] The post Event Report: Tokyo Cocktail 7 Days appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Pretty shocking announcement out of Suntory today: huge MSRP increases of 20% to as high as 125% are slated across the board for the company’s entire range of whiskies, including favorites like Hibiki, Yamazaki, and Hakushu. That means some prices are more than doubling. Yikes. Let’s get right to it: the new prices will be […] The post Suntory don’t GAF, will massively increase whisky prices appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Shochu Enkai is a very different kind of shochu event. This year’s was held on a rainy October 9, 2023, but plenty of shochu fans turned up in a show of force anyway. At the invitation of all-around drinks writer/influencer Marico Kojima, I had the opportunity to attend for the first time. The Shochu Enkai’s […] The post Event Report: Shochu Enkai 2023 appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture-based Nissin Furniture Crafters has announced their entry into the coopering industry, making them only the second company in Japan to offer American oak or Japanese oak casks. The new brand is called Hida Barrel. Nissin Furniture Crafters traces its history back to 1946 when the company launched as a maker of […] The post Finally, another independent Japanese cooperage: Hida Barrel appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Today we head to Hagiwara Shuzo, a sake brewery in Ibaraki Prefecture’s Sakai-cho. Founded in 1855, the brewery is situated a stone’s throw away from the Tone River that forms the border between Chiba and Ibaraki Prefectures. The navigable, pure waters of the Tone River have made the area popular since the Muromachi Period, which […] The post A slice of Ibaraki sake at Hagiwara Shuzo appeared first on Nomunication ..read more

Sake powerhouse Hakkaisan rang in its centennial anniversary in 2022, and the celebrations continue this year. At a recent press conference, they announced, among other things, the release of their first-ever grain whisky made primarily from rice. It turns out Hakkai Jozo has been making rice-based grain whisky at its Fukazawahara Distillery since 2016. And […] The post Hakkaisan to release inaugural Rice Grain Whisky in spring 2024 appeared first on Nomunication ..read more