An umeshu made from ‘Nanko ume’ plums from Ehime prefecture, marinated in authentic rice shochu and then topped up with spring water from Mt. Takanawa, all in a sparkling version! No colourings, flavourings or acidifiers have been added to this sweet, refreshing drink, which goes beautifully with Happosai fondue, fried chicken kara’age, or white fish carpaccio, and can be drunk as is, or on the rocks.
Good to know: unlike sake, which is a brewed spirit, shochu is a distilled spirit whose ingredients are not fixed. It is generally made from rice, buckwheat or sweet potato, but can also be made from barley or chestnuts, for example. It is a strong alcohol (between 20° and 45°), which is why it is used to make umeshu. Not only does the high alcohol content help to extract the flavour of the plums, but Japanese alcohol law states that it is illegal to make fruit spirits from drinks of less than 20°, even at home!
About Shusen Eiko
For over 120 years, Shusen Eiko has been producing spirits in Ehime, on the island of Shikoku, with local, national and now international success, winning numerous gold and silver medals in various competitions. The company has a very special brewery: all the storage space is a huge cold room, so all the production can be kept at a controlled temperature. The sake is kept at sub-zero temperatures to ensure optimum maturation.
