Formerly illegal: Japanese alcohol celebrates comeback

Formerly illegal: Japanese alcohol celebrates comeback

Japan is known for its globally valued drinks such as Whiskey , nihonshu (sake) and beer. But a bar in Tokyo tries to bring the taste of Doburoku closer to both locals and visitors, one of the oldest and most controversial drinks in Japanese history.

The Heiwa Doburoku Kabutocho brewery

The Heiwa Doburoku Kabutocho brewery is located in the Nihombashi district in the eastern Tokyo. During the EDO period (1603-1868) this area flourished with activities because boats transported sake deliveries. Against this background, the Heiwa Shuzou brewery, which has been producing Sake in the Prefecture of Wakayama since 1928, decided to open a special Doburoku bar in one of the wealthiest districts of Tokios.

What exactly is Doburoku?

The story of Doburoku is as cloudy as the drink itself. It is considered an ancestor of today's sake; No wonder that the signs that form the word 濁酒 mean "cloudy" or "impure" liquor. In order to distinguish these cloudy art Japanese alcohol from the widespread clear sake, there are two categories: Seishu (清酒), i.e. clear sake, and Doburoku (濁酒).

A significant difference in the production between sake and Doburoku is that a yeast starter, the so -called shubo, is required for classic sake, and the three main ingredients - subdued rice, koji (a mold) and water - are added for several days. At Doburoku, on the other hand, all ingredients are mixed together with the yeast starter at the same time, which makes the mixture more sucking. This means that the fermentation stops much earlier, which results in a sweeter drink with a significantly lower alcohol content.

The controversy around Doburoku

Doburoku has almost as long as rice is grown in Japan. It was the drink of the election for farmers and Shinto priests. With a relatively simple recipe - throwing everything together in the "kettle" - Doburoku was a common sight in the country. The open brow at home has been practiced over centuries.

According to Utsunomiya Hitoshi, the director of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS), in 1855 alone in Edo (today's Tokyo) 459 Doburoku producers. But with the end of the EDO period, all feudal lords were forced to give up their regional rulers in favor of the centralized government of the Meiji dynasty. This turn brought with it new, strictly regulated institutions, including a decent tax.

The new government recognized that licensed brows is an important source of income and measures to restrict house brauen were introduced. In 1880 it began to limit the amount of home -brewed alcohol, while a license system was introduced in 1882. In 1896 a tax was levied on all breweries, which resulted in a complete ban in 1899. From this point on, Doburoku was called Mitsuzoushu (密造酒), ie "secretly produced alcohol" or moonlight.

Nevertheless, Doburoku could also be found during the ban in Japan. Shinto shrines in particular were allowed to continue using the drink for rituals. After the Second World War, because of a lack of sake, the Korean drink Makgeolli Doburoku's unfiltered relative, used as a popular alternative. Despite the continuing ban on house brauen, the Japanese government in 2003 allowed inns and restaurants in special deregulative zones to sell commercially Doburoku. By 2021 there were 193 authorized sales outlets all over Japan.

The current situation of Doburoku

Norimasa Yamamoto, President of Heiwa Shuzo, estimates that half of the bar visitors come from abroad. "We often receive questions between sake and Doburoku, how many days it takes to make it and how it is produced," he reports about the guests of the bar. In addition to Doburoku, the brewery's own sake and beer brands are also available. However, note that the brewery does not accept cash payment.

The taste is intense, and trying it compares it with both cheddar cheese and with noni, a uniquely tasting Polynesian fruit. Travelers who cannot travel to Japan have the opportunity to try Doburoku in more detail at home. In Brooklyn, Kato Sake Works sells small quantities of the drink.

However, the owner Shinobu Kato notices: "The context does not exist here", since Americans have probably heard less about Doburoku. "Apart from a few sake shops that are very familiar with and are interested in our Doburoku," says Kato, "Most sales run in the taproom, both for bottles to take away and to drink in the glass."