Japanese plum liqueur soaks up a new identity

Growing up in Wakayama Prefecture, the heartland of ume (plum) cultivation in Japan, Mami Kubota enjoyed umeboshi (pickled plums) and plum juice in her daily life.

Every summer, she watched her grandmother partake in the ritual of making umeshu (plum liqueur) at home. Steeped in a jar of shōchū (Japanese distilled spirit) and sugar, the fruit wrinkled slowly, transforming the liquid into a syrupy elixir. By winter, it was ready to imbibe.

After she became an adult, however, Kubota was rather disappointed by the overly sweet umeshu she found in most stores.