Umeshu 梅酒
Umeshu is a sweet liqueur made by steeping ume fruit in alcohol with sugar. It is often called plum wine, though it is not wine and ume are closer to apricots.
About Umeshu
- What it is: Ume steeped in a spirit such as shochu or brandy, sweetened with sugar, then aged for months or even years. Sake-based versions also exist.
- Homemade: Ume are in season around June, during the rainy season, when many people make their own at home with ume, rock sugar and a strong white spirit in a glass jar. It is drinkable after a month, but about three months is better.
- Where it comes from: Wakayama grows roughly two-thirds of Japan's ume, including the large Nanko variety used for umeshu.
- How to drink it: Straight, on the rocks, or mixed with water or soda.
SeasonAll year; homemade with fresh ume in June
Known for it
- WakayamaAbout two-thirds of Japan's ume, Nanko variety
Checked against: The Cool, Sweet World of Wakayama Umeshu | JETRO · [Complete Guide to Umeshu] The Appeal of Umeshu, Created in Japan, the Land of Plums | GOOD LUCK TRIP.
Umeshu on Shibuya246
Photos and stories from the blog, as they were written at the time.
Food & Drink
Umeshu
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