What is Umeshu? 6 Things to Know About Japanese Plum Liqueur

by Cassandra Lord | LIFESTYLE

When it comes to Japanese drinks, sake often takes the spotlight, but if you want something a bit different, umeshu should be your go-to!

Umeshu is a flavorful alcoholic drink made with plums, packed with sweet notes alongside the characteristics of its base spirit. Here we’ll explore what makes umeshu stand out from the rest.

What is Umeshu?

Literally translated, umeshu (梅酒) means plum alcohol. It is often translated as plum wine, but this can be misleading, as the process is quite different to wine. Unlike wine, umeshu doesn’t feature fermented grapes, but is made with a base alcohol, plums, and sugar. This is why you will often see plums bobbing around inside the bottle.

Most umeshu have an alcohol level between 10-15%, although this can be higher. They are also typically quite sweet, and their depth of flavor can vary quite a lot depending on how long they have been aged and what base alcohol was used.

How is Umeshu Made?

Umeshu is actually one of the easiest alcoholic drinks to make, but it does require a bit of patience.

It is typically made by choosing a base alcohol like a white liquor, whisky, or brandy, and adding ume plums and rock sugar in an airtight container. Ume plums (Prunus mume) are a special breed of plum that have a high acidity which makes them no good for eating. But by steeping them in alcohol and sugar, their fruity juices and nutrients are brought out into a more complex drink.

Umeshu is usually then left to steep for around six months. Some brands pride themselves on their longer aging periods, and some home brewers may only steep it for three months, but six months is usually what it takes to balance out the flavors.

If you intend to make some at home, it is best to use unripe ume plums, rather than anything else, as these are hard and best suited for the drink. If you can get your hands on rock sugar (kori sato, 氷砂糖), this is considered the best option for a slow dissolve that will pull out more of the ume flavors. Otherwise, try brown sugar or honey for a different taste. Then, find yourself a large airtight container that you can sterilize, and add plums and sugar at a 5:4 ratio, alternating layers of each. Then pour over your favorite alcohol, and wait for a minimum of 3 months, or up to a year for the best flavors. Make sure to shake it around every now and then in the first few months to circulate the flavors and dissolve the sugars!

If you’re interested in making your own drinks, you can also check out our article on Japanese Craft Beer!

What Types of Umeshu Are There?

Despite its simple ingredients, there are a lot of different variations of umeshu.

The main variant when it comes to umeshu is the base alcohol. The usual base is a white liquor, and although there’s not much stopping you from using any other alcohol, some common bases are shochu, brandy, whisky, and nihonshu

Regardless of base, however, there are also different styles of umeshu that you might find on supermarket shelves and fancy restaurants in Japan. If you just say “umeshu,” you will most likely be given honkaku umeshu (original umeshu), which is plums, sugar, and alcohol. The other two styles are nigori and sparkling. Nigori (にごり) means cloudy, and is made using the fruit pulp, resulting in a sweeter and fruitier drink. Sparkling umeshu, on the other hand, can be made using either carbonated water or by doing an in-bottle secondary fermentation similar to the process of champagne. Sparkling umeshu is not that common, though.

Sometimes other flavorings are also added to umeshu, such as brown sugar or honey instead of rock sugar, or different fruits or teas to make new combinations.

When to Drink Umeshu?

Historically, umeshu started out as a health drink and at one point was even considered a kind of medicine, so it was not typically drunk for leisure. This eventually changed, and it became a popular drink to easily make at home.

Specialities of Bizen Province by Yashima Gakutei, 19th Century

However, even today some people believe that there are some health benefits associated with it! There are a few reasons that some traditionally consider umeshu to be good for the body in moderate quantities. One thought is that its acidity stimulates appetite and helps with bowel movement. Another is that the vitamins and minerals of the plums, such as vitamins B, C, and E, are helpful in relieving fatigue and are even good for the skin. Finally, simply by being an alcoholic drink, it is believed by some to improve blood circulation and help with sleep.

Umeshu is not strongly associated with particular celebrations. But that simply means it can be drunk on almost any occasion! Umeshu is delicious hot or cold, so makes for a nice drink regardless of the time of year. Different bases pair well with certain dishes, too. So whether it’s someone’s birthday or just the evening after a long day, umeshu is a good option.

How to Serve Umeshu?

There are a few ways to drink umeshu, but given its relatively strong aroma and sweetness, it is most commonly served on its own or with ice.

In the summer, umeshu makes for a sweet and refreshing drink after a meal. Served on the rocks, the chilled version softens the sweetness and has a similar effect to dessert wine.

In the winter, you can serve your umeshu warm by adding some hot water. This is called oyu wari (お湯割) and creates more of a sense of the depth of flavor. A brandy base on a winter’s night can feel particularly festive.

Other common variations are to mix umeshu with soda or tonic water, or to make it into a simple cocktail. Umeshu goes well with refreshing flavors such as lemon and lime, and dark fruity flavors like blackcurrant or red wine. Some cocktail makers use beer, tea, and even coffee, too, so there is ample room for experimentation.

What Brands of Umeshu Should You Try?

© merec0 / Creative Commons , Sakura Umeshu

While the go-to for most people when buying umeshu is Choya, if you are visiting Japan there are a lot more options to choose from. Here are some umeshu brands you might find on the shelves in Japan:

Choya: One of the biggest umeshu brands in Japan, with a wide variety of different ages, flavors, and styles.

Suntory: One of Japan’s largest whisky makers, Suntory uses that whisky as their umeshu base and the barrels for a distinct flavor.

Niwa no Uguisu: A Fukuoka-based distillery that uses sake lees to create flavorful shochu, which is then used for their umeshu series under their Yamaguchi Distillery. Their flagship umeshu is aged for over 10 months and has added plum pulp for a fruity finish.

Tomio Sake: This Kyoto-based sake distillery uses fully ripened plums from the nearby Wakayama prefecture to create an elegant umeshu worthy of the former capital.

Hakkaisan: This Niigata-based distillery has three different umeshu, one made with untreated sake and the other two with their specialty shochu. Their sake umeshu goes well with Japanese dishes and is recommended to be served refrigerated without ice, while the other two can be served on the rocks and are great on their own.

Tominosato: Tominosato specializes in umeshu, but the most special of their selection in the white Kumano Densetsu, which is aged for three years for a well-rounded flavor packed with fresh plum aromas.