"We have delicious plum wine."
Activity report of Monosasu Umeshu Club

How are you all doing these days as the rainy season seems to be coming to an end?

Nice to meet you. I'm Kakurai from the Creative Department.
This time of year, with the gloomy skies and overwhelming humidity, can make our minds and lives feel sluggish, but there is one thing I enjoy.

That is, making plum wine.

There are several theories about the origin of the word "tsuyu" (rainy season), one of which is that it comes from the fact that the rainy season comes when plums are ripening.
Every year at this time, Matsushima (Check Team), Furuhata (Marketing Department), and Kakarai, the three members of the Umeshu Club,

"Shall I make plum wine this year too?"

That's what he's secretly planning.

It all started five years ago

The origins of this go back to 2012 (5 years ago).

It was originally Uemura's (production department) idea.
At the time, Kamimura and Furuhat prepared storage jars, white liquor, and rock sugar, but for some reason the plan was not carried out.

Two years passed and it was 2014.
Matsushima's voice brought the dormant bottles and white liquor back to life.
At that time, Matsushima, Furuhat, and Saito (from the check team) would get together on Saturdays to prepare.

The first plum wine. I made 3600ml of plum wine using white liquor.

Eleven months later, it was May 2015.
"Bar Monosus" served that original plum wine.
"Bar Monosus" is a traditional bar that opens irregularly in a corner of the company for tired employees after work. It is run by volunteers, led by former bartenders Tatsuta (head of the marketing department) and Sakamoto (sales, marketing department).

I was having a great time chatting with my friends and my delicious cocktail was gone in an instant, so I was sitting at the bar wondering what to order next when a bottle of plum wine called out to me.

Sakamoto: "This plum wine is made at the company."

Huh? You make plum wine at work?
I started by sipping two or three glasses of plum wine on the rocks, and as soon as I met Matsushima and Furuhat, who said they were the makers, I called out to them.
"I tried the plum wine. It was delicious! Are you pickling them again this year?"

"Why not try pickling in sake this year?"
The main purpose was here.

I have a soft spot for sake, and I feel happy when I can taste the unique sweetness of rice that comes with sake on my tongue and nose.
I knew that plum wine soaked in sake existed, but I thought it would be a rare opportunity to actually make it, so I spoke in a slightly drunk state.

The kind-hearted Matsushima and Furuhat readily agreed to the drunken man's words, saying, "That's a good idea! Let's try pickling it in sake this year!"

In preparation. Brandy plum wine added.

On the next business day of "Bar Monosus", Matsushima and Furuhata contacted us and gave us instructions on what to prepare and what each person should do. As expected of someone with experience, things were decided smoothly.

I was so happy that I decided to report it to Tatsuta, who happened to be passing by.

Kakurai: "I've decided to make plum wine using sake!"
Tatsuta: "Sake?! Why not soak it in brandy?"

Plum wine with brandy...?
To be honest, I had never heard the term before and was skeptical as to whether plum wine made with brandy would taste good. Since I was only interested in sake to begin with, I was thinking up an excuse in the back of my mind to turn down my boss' offer, saying, "I'll just check it out..."

However, when I consulted with Matsushima and Furuhata,
Matsushima: "Brandy is great! I'll have to buy another bottle then."

Convinced that this was a done deal, I forgot any excuses to refuse and told Tatsuta that I wanted to make brandy plum wine. He handed me some of Bar Monosus' budget as capital for the project.

Once that was decided, before I knew it, the brandy for the fruit liqueur had arrived, along with additional storage bottles, rock sugar, sake for the plum liqueur, and large green plums.

How to make plum wine the Monosasu way

We will show you how to make two types of plum wine: sake and brandy.

<Things to prepare>

The following content was created in 2016.

*Please note: National law prohibits home brewing of alcohol with an alcohol content below 20%.
Please check the alcohol content of the alcohol you are preparing in advance.
( Liquor Tax Law, Article 7, Article 43, Paragraphs 1, 10, and 11; Special Taxation Measures Law, Article 87-8; Enforcement Order of the Law, Article 46-8-2; Enforcement Regulations of the Law, Article 37-4 )

<Procedure>

Step 1. Sterilize storage jars

Wash the storage jars and sterilize them with boiling water or alcohol.

Another theory about the origin of the word "tsuyu" is that it is derived from "baiu" (mold rain).
The most frightening thing about making plum wine is, yes, mold.

Wipe the sterilized jar thoroughly with a clean cloth.
In order to remove moisture, please dry it in a well-ventilated place.

2. Removing the bitterness from plums

The surface was a little soft and the color was starting to turn slightly yellow, so we removed the bitterness for an hour.

Wash each item carefully under running water.
Leave the washed plums in water for 2 to 4 hours if the plums you bought are very green and firm. If they are slightly yellowish, leave them in water for less than an hour.

Step 3. Selecting the plums and wiping off the water

As you remove the water, the plums give off a faintly sweet scent... But don't take a bite, thinking it looks delicious. In fact, unripe plums contain a poison called cyanide glycosides, so be careful.

I drained the water and let it air out a little.

Once the bitterness has been removed from the plums, dry each one individually with a clean cloth or paper towel.
By thoroughly removing moisture, mold does not grow easily and the alcohol and plums adhere to each other, releasing the plum extract and resulting in a more delicious plum wine.

In addition, large scratches can cause cloudiness and corrosion, so we remove them while removing the moisture.

Step 4. Removing the stem

The three of us worked skillfully to remove the stems. The feeling of the stems coming off so easily is a bit addictive.

Use a bamboo skewer to remove the stems (stars) of the plums.
The stem is removed to prevent a bitter taste.

Step 5. Place the plums and rock sugar alternately and pour in the sake.

"Naebayama" slowly poured into a bottle

Fill the jar with plums → rock sugar → plums → rock sugar, alternating layers.
Once filled, pour sake into each bottle until it is completely covered.

6. Aging

As of July 12, 2016, these plum wines are quietly sleeping on a shelf in the Check Team room. The plums have started to wilt and turn color. The one on the far right is a two-year-old version of the original plum wine from 2014.

Cover tightly and store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
It is a good idea to shake the jar once every two or three months to ensure that the sugar content is evenly distributed.

It takes about six months to mature.

Step 7. Completion

December 2015. At the end-of-year party, we served the finished plum wine, and the bottle was almost empty.

Let's all have fun drinking together.

We started making plum wine in June, and the finished plum wine was ready at the end of the year party in December, so we served it to everyone to enjoy.

We were very happy to see everyone who tried the plum wine smile and say, "It's delicious!" so the whole Umeshu Club worked hard together to make the most delicious plum wine this year as well.

It's currently quietly sitting under a shelf in the check team room, waiting for the day to be unveiled.
Stay tuned!