Mito Kairakuen Artisanal Umeshu (National Gold Medal Plum Liqueur of Ibaraki)

Celebrated across the globe for Kairakuen Garden, where feudal lord Tokugawa Nariaki cultivated over 3,000 plum trees across 100 distinct cultivars in 1842, the city of Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture is Japan’s undisputed cultural capital of plum blossoms and fruit (Ume). Mito’s plum liqueur heritage is anchored by historic breweries like "Meiri Shurui" (operating since the 1850s), which has perfected the craft of world-class, award-winning plum liqueur. The crowning achievement of Mito is the legendary "Hyakunen Umeshu" (Centennial Plum Liqueur), which captured the prestigious National Gold Grand Prix at the All-Japan Umeshu Festival. Handcrafted exclusively from locally hand-plucked "Shirakaga" green plums at the apex of acidity and aromatic maturity, the fruit undergoes patient multi-year maceration before being finished with aged French grape brandy and raw mountain honey. Pouring into a glass reveals a radiant deep-amber color with a rich, velvety viscosity. The bright, tangy crispness of green plum harmonizes flawlessly with the complex vanilla-oak notes of fine brandy and the soothing nectar of wild honey, making it divine poured over hand-carved ice spheres or lengthened with sparkling soda water. Bottled in elegant glass flagons with artisanal washi calligraphy labels, bottles retail from ¥1,600 to ¥5,500 at Kairakuen pavilions and Mito Station.