Umenoyado Green Tea Umeshu Plum Liqueur

Have you ever found yourself sipping sake and green tea side by side and wondered what would happen if you combined them? If so, the craft liqueur makers at the Umenoyado Brewery have done the hard work for you with their unique and surprisingly delicious Green Tea Umeshu Plum Liqueur. The brewery, located in the city of Katsuragi in the Nara basin, has been making craft sake since 1893 but recently shifted its focus to infusing locally grown fruit into their brews. The company’s Green Tea Umeshu is one such gamble that could have gone wrong, but works beautifully: the tea is bold and a touch tannic, the sake is rich and creamy, and the ume plum injects a sweet, but not cloying note. The resulting liqueur, which is only 8% ABV, also works as a substitute for any white vermouth or amaro in a cocktail. Sometimes bending tradition pays off.