Akashi-Tai Ginjo Yuzushu is a Japanese citrus-infused sake made by blending premium Ginjo sake with the vibrant flavours of fresh yuzu fruit. Yuzu is a highly aromatic citrus native to East Asia, known for its bright, tart profile. It is often described as a cross between mandarin, lemon and grapefruit. It is widely used in Japanese cuisine and in Western perfumery. Technically, this is a liqueur, but it is not particularly sweet.
The Akashi Sake Brewery began sake production in 1886 in the town of Akashi, which is one of the major fishing ports in western Japan. It is named Akashi after the town and Tai after the sea bream, called Tai in Japanese, for which the region is famous – it is the sea bream that adorns Akashi’s labels. The brewery also owns the Kaikyo Distillery, established in 2017, which produces Hatozaki Whisky and Hyogo 135 East Gin.
Through the years, Akashi-Tai has modernised and expanded to sell a wide variety of products from premium sakes to varieties of distilled spirit shochu, but remains a small artisanal brewery or “kura”.
Akashi-Tai Sake is brewed using traditional equipment and methods, always by hand and in small batches, the way it has been for centuries. That is not to say that they do not embrace modern technology; fermentation is now temperature-controlled, for example.
The result is a beautifully refreshing Japanese yuzu sake with vibrant citrus notes, gentle sweetness and a clean, crisp finish.
Best enjoyed chilled, over ice as an aperitif, in a long refreshing spritzer (for example, with soda), or in cocktails.
Good food pairings include:
It can also be enjoyed neat as an excellent Japanese digestif, chilled or hot.
What Is Yuzushu?
Yuzushu is made by infusing or macerating fresh yuzu fruit, it can be the juice, zest and sometimes pulp in a sake, often Ginjo Sake.
Akashi-Tai Ginjo Yuzushu is made using hand-juiced local yuzu macerated in Ginjo sake.
What Is Ginjo Sake?
Ginjo sake is a type of premium Japanese sake made from rice that’s polished at least 40% to remove impurities, resulting in a refined, aromatic, and fruit-forward style that often includes a small amount of added distilled alcohol.
Is Akashi-Tai Ginjo Yuzushu a sake or a liqueur?
Akashi-Tai Ginjo Yuzushu is technically a sake-based liqueur. It is made by macerating fresh yuzu citrus fruit in premium Ginjo sake, with a small amount of sugar added for balance.
Is Yuzushu sweet?
Yuzushu is only gently sweet rather than sugary. A small amount of sugar is added during production to balance the natural acidity of the yuzu fruit, resulting in a harmonious sweet-tart profile.
Can Yuzushu Be Served Warm?
Yes, it can be served both warm and chilled. It can also be served over ice like Limoncello.
Is Yuzushu the same as Umeshu?
No. Umeshu is a plum sake liqueur made by infusing sake with ume plums, while yuzushu uses yuzu citrus fruit.
Are There Other Flavoured Sakes?
Whilst yuzu and ume plum infused sakes are the two most common types of flavoured sake, you can also find sake infused with many other flavours, including peach, pear and strawberry.
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