New: Japanese Plum Wine in First and Business

[KeithMEL]

A friend of mine has just arrived in LAX on SQ and he's reported the sighting of Choya Umeshu, a traditional Japanese liqueur on the wine list. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that, since the first of August, Choya Umeshu has been a permanent addition to the wine list for First and Business Class pax on North Asian and transpacific flights.

[jhm]

Plum wine ? Give me a decent sake (which I've developed a recent taste for) anyday! The SQ F menu lists the sake available as "Premium Ginjo Sake Tamanohikari". Anyone know which of the types it is ? They're listed on the Tamanohikari website here:

http://www.sake.com/merchandise.html

Is it the junmai dai ginjo (the highest grade) or the lower junmai ginjo ?

[QSG]

Choya Umeshu, a traditional Japanese liqueur on the wine list.......

Please don't anyone take this personally but Choya Umeshu is commonly bought at the local supermarket for about 300 Yen a small jar. First or Business class plonk it is not........

[QSG]

Plum wine ? Give me a decent sake (which I've developed a recent taste for) anyday! The SQ F menu lists the sake available as "Premium Ginjo Sake Tamanohikari". Anyone know which of the types it is ? They're listed on the Tamanohikari website here:

http://www.sake.com/merchandise.html

Is it the junmai dai ginjo (the highest grade) or the lower junmai ginjo ?

Notice the difference between the 2 middle offerings (the packaging).The thing about sake is that although we translate it to rice wine.....wine it is not. In fact the only thing that makes sake different is the rice used (duh) and the water quality source. Sake doesn't mature and must be drunk within a year of brewing........

[jhm]

Please don't anyone take this personally but Choya Umeshu is commonly bought at the local supermarket for about 300 Yen a small jar. First or Business class plonk it is not........

Yes, I'd always thought of it as similar to shochu - alcohol for those who can't afford sake!

In fact the only thing that makes sake different is the rice used (duh) and the water quality source.

Well, AFAIK, those are the basic ingredients but there are also numerous other factors which determine the quality of the final product, e.g. the percentage the rice has been milled; the organism used to break down the starch into sugars for fermentation; the yeast used; the various methods of production; whether it's pasteurised or not; whether it's filtered or not; whether additional alcohol or other additives are added; etc.

[KeithMEL]

I've not drunk plum wine, oh the shame.... Anyway I didn't know that it's cheap stuff; was just excited that there's something new.

I've tried liking sake, both warm and cold, but uhh - haven;t acquired the taste for it thus far.

[bloob]

Sake is basically legal moonshine and can be made from rice, fruits and other grains, but mainly rice. It is a distilled liquor not wine as commonly called.

Shochu is a cheaper option from Sake and is mainly made from fruits, roots and other mixtures.

Agree with the rest that Choya Umeshu isn't a highly regarded drink, and can be easily bought at supermarkets. Why SQ wants to promote this in First and Business is quite beyond me. What next? Korean Ginseng Wine? Benedictine DOM? Yomeishu?

[Savage25]

Speaking of plum wine, what's that Korean plum wine with gold flakes in it? That stuff was good...

[mec]

Agree with the rest that Choya Umeshu isn't a highly regarded drink, and can be easily bought at supermarkets. Why SQ wants to promote this in First and Business is quite beyond me. What next? Korean Ginseng Wine? Benedictine DOM? Yomeishu?

Apparently, there must have been suggestions from surveys done and FF get-together.
Should they take away Diet Coke (sorry SQfg) just becoz I think it's the cheapest non-drinkable soda?

[bloob]

Let's add Cherry Coke to the list too

[Savage25]

Apparently, there must have been suggestions from surveys done and FF get-together.
Should they take away Diet Coke (sorry SQfg) just becoz I think it's the cheapest non-drinkable soda?

Hey, I like Diet Coke too!

Oh....nevermind, I just realized that I only drink alcohol in the air

[HUGE AL]

shochu - alcohol for those who can't afford sake!

Hey now, there are quite a few good sHoju's (read: Japanese) that are QUITE expensive...and not to be confused with soju (read: Corean [or Korean]) which is an impure product. Whether that or sake, it's like saying cognac or cabernet -- one is not better than another...depends on what you're feeling like...

I've tried liking sake, both warm and cold, but uhh - haven;t acquired the taste for it thus far.

Keith, this could be a good excuse for a Tokyo Do...

[KeithMEL]

Keith, this could be a good excuse for a Tokyo Do...

I'll actually be there in Jan.

I did try sake in Japan too though, thinking that maybe I've only ever had dodgy sake in other parts of the world. But again I failed to acquire a liking for it.

[jhm]

I've tried liking sake, both warm and cold, but uhh - haven;t acquired the taste for it thus far.

Part of it for me is the circumstances in which I'm drinking sake - usually sat at a small sushi bar knocking back the sake whilst talking to the itaemae and other customers. Plus, like all other alcohol, it gets better as the night goes on...

[KeithMEL]

Plus, like all other alcohol, it gets better as the night goes on...

May I suggest passion pop then - 4 bucks per 750ml bottle.