Akashi-Tai Shiraume Ginjo Umeshu is a Japanese plum liqueur made by infusing ume plums into premium Ginjo sake. Umeshu is traditionally enjoyed as a dessert-style sake liqueur and is sweeter and more approachable than dry sake, making it an ideal introduction to Japanese sake-based drinks.
This elegant plum-flavoured sake liqueur is smooth, rounded and gently fruity, with balanced sweetness rather than heavy richness. Highly versatile, it can be enjoyed hot or cold and works beautifully as a dessert wine — particularly with festive treats such as mince pies. Akashi also produce a yuzu-infused sake.
Akashi-Tai Shiraume Ginjo Umeshu Production
Traditional Umeshu plum liqueur is made by steeping ume fruits (the plum fruits of Prunus mume, also known as Chinese Plum or Japanese Apricot) in alcohol and sugar. Shiraume Umeshu is made by preserving these plums in the finest of Ginjo Japanese sakes.
The use of higher grade Ginjo sake and ume plums result is a refined Japanese plum sake liqueur with gentle sweetness, soft acidity and a long, mellow finish.
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.
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What Akashi-Tai Shiraume Ginjo Umeshu?
Umeshu is a traditional Japanese plum liqueur made by steeping ume fruit in Ginjo sake.
What does Shiraume mean?
In the context of umeshu, shiraume refers to unripe or lightly ripened ume plums that are paler in colour and higher in natural acidity compared to fully ripe ume
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 Umeshu the same as Yuzushu?
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.
Should Umeshu Be Served Warm or Cold?
Umeshu can be served cold or warm. It is often served lightly chilled to pair with desserts.
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