I went to Snowy Hokkaido Just to Try Nikka Distillery Whisky!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 มิ.ย. 2024
- Join Shizuka on an immersive journey to the renowned Yoichi Nikka Distillery in Hokkaido, where the art of Japanese whisky production comes to life.
In this video, Shizuka delves into the intricate process, from barley malting to cask aging, with a behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship involved.
At Yoichi Distillery, guests can immerse themselves in the legacy of Masataka Taketsuru, the founding father of Japanese whisky. After spending crucial years in Scotland studying distillation and apprenticing at various distilleries, Taketsuru established his own distillery in 1934. It’s now Shizuka’s chance to delve into his remarkable journey and contributions to the whisky industry.
The adventure continues with a whisky tasting session right at the distillery, where Shizuka explores the diverse flavors and nuances of different blends, gaining an appreciation for the spectrum of whiskies, including those with smoky notes, sweet aromas, and everything in between.
To enhance the whisky experience, Shizuka takes you to Rita’s Kitchen, where you can savor delicious recipes crafted by Rita, the wife of Masataka Taketsuru and the symbolic "mother of Japanese whisky." These dishes are carefully curated to perfectly complement the distinct flavors of Japanese whisky.
Finally, Shizuka introduces two amazing bars where you can indulge in exquisite Yoichi whisky. One is located in Otaru, Hokkaido, aptly named Rita as an hommage. The other is situated in Tokyo, providing a convenient option for those unable to visit Hokkaido during their stay.
FEATURED FOODS
Crane’s Bouquet
Roasted Chicken
Hokkaido Pork Spare Ribs Cooked in Apple Cider
Nikka Single Cask Malt Whisky
Nikka Whisky Tsuru
Woody & Vanillic Single Malt Yoichi Whisky
Peaty & Salty Single Malt Yoichi Whisky
Smoked Scallop
Single Malt Miyagikyo Whisky with Pear
Single Malt Yoichi Whisky
Carpaccio
US Prime Hanging Tender Beef
LOCATION
Yoichi Distillery
Yoichi, Hokkaido
maps.app.goo.gl/LAkFKHobFsLgj...
Rita’s Kitchen
Yoichi, iHokkaido
maps.app.goo.gl/EwH1aFVfNmMo6...
Nikka Bar Rita
Otaru, Hokkaido
maps.app.goo.gl/Zcy3NShJmwUcB...
Tokyo Whisky Library
Omotesando, Tokyo
maps.app.goo.gl/r1TMLa85TLLTG...
TIMELINE
0:00 Intro
0:42 Yoichi
2:16 Whisky Distillery
6:24 Rita's Kitchen
10:27 Nikka Museum
13:12 Otaru
13:53 Nikka Bar Rita
17:37 Tokyo Whisky Library
23:07 Outro
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Snow never looked more inviting! I was lucky enough to join Shizuka’s ByFood Harajuku tour and I can tell you she’s just as amazing in person. The enthusiasm, positivity, and charm that she shows in her videos is genuine. Highly recommend the tour!
Did you get an autograph?
I got pics with her ;-) It’s a very small tour group, capped at 6 guests. It has to be based on the crowds of Harajuku and the places she takes you to. So it really is just Shizuka “ personally”showing you around. Highlight of my Tokyo trip!
www.byfood.com/experiences/harajuku-food-tour-with-shizuka-street-food-663 for anyone interested, this is the tour!
Going to Hokkaido in a few days for the festival 😊 I’m Scottish and had no idea about Rita, that’s amazing! 1918 was right after the First World War ended too so I bet Masataka’s visit was such a lovely boost to people 🙂
As a Scotsman, I need to visit this distillery to add to my Scottish distillery experiences.
I went to Nikka Yoichi in 2019. It was quite the experience. The best part of the cafeteria (above the gift shop) was the free whiskey and apple wine. I enjoyed the apple wine the most and picked up another bottle on my visit to Japan last month.
We should have bought a bottle too!
Sadly, now you need to be in a “tour” to get into that cafeteria for the free whiskey and apple wine tasting. We were there middle of January 2024, they told us to go to the back of the distillery complex to access the souvenir shop and paid whiskey tasting.
@@JapanbyFoodYou can get them at Don Quijote for about $10 if you missed it at the distillery
What a coincidence. Just bought a bottle of Nikka from the barrel today to try and then I see this video. Interesting to see food pairings.
i love Mondays because of Shizuka....
As a big whisky lover i adore this video! 🥃 cheers!
Wonderful video! I am a total whisky nerd and have wanted to visit both Nikka and the Whisky Library for so long. Thank you so much!
Great video, very charming, I am Canadian and I am drooling over the Whisky and great Japanese Rita's food.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this sooooo much, as if I needed yet another reason to visit Nihon! Being composed of nearly 100% Irish-American DNA, and married to a lass of nearly 100% Scots-American descent, this is a definite home-run. Domo arigatougozaimasu! 🍻🙇♂️🍻🇯🇵
Great desu ne! Please come back to Japan!
Save some for the rest of us, i pray for your livers.
Shizuka so eloquently describes every smell and taste and is rewarded with fine food and whisky parings and we wouldn't have it any other way. Always so enjoyable to watch this channel, so informative and entertaining and so many place to go and see.
Thank you for being so kind! We cannot wait to explore more!
Hokkaido is definitely the next place I'd like to visit in Japan. Also, love how Shizuka did the intro like the snowy and windy weather didn't exist. Must be her Canadian side XD As a Canadian myself, I definitely would like to experience the winter of Northern Japan and what it's like in Summer up there.
She is too used to the cold!
Shizuka, what an awesome whiskey tour! All the places were quite impressive, but that whiskey bar in Tokyo was over the top. Loved it.
Thank you so much for your kindness!
Pork, beef, and whisky what a treat!
Heaven!
I watch the nhk morning drama based on the nikka whiskey distillery.. it was good... The actress Charlotte Kate portrayed Rita really well..
I'm a huge fan of Japanese whisky Shizuka! I'll try those places that you went to sometime soon. Thanks for the video Shizuka and cheers to you and Rita!
Cheers to them!
Beautiful looking distillery. Cheers!!🥃
Thank you! Cheers!
Because the blood number is not good ... I can't drink alcohol, but I'm looking forward to Shizuka's video Good luck with your work😊
Looking forward to watching this. I watched the asadora on it and have an unopened samurai helmet bottle from the 70s.
Wow! The helmet bottle sounds amazing!
I love the explanations of the nuances of whisky
The service is exceptional in Japan! Love it❤
Absolutely!
Interesting how Shizuka starts with drinking carefully sampled sips at the first location passes on to gulps at the second and finally with her antipasto "carpaccio" and meal throws back full glasses of the golden juice as her eyes appear as very small slits!
Huge whisky lover! Currently in Sapporo and we had planned to get to Yoichi today, however, it's been snowing so much the trains are disrupted due to snowfall. If I can't make the distillery, I'll definitely check out the Tokyo Whisky Library. Great video.
looks like so much fun, and such great places to have Whisky, the snow, the history, the atmosphere, I'll definitely have to venture out there and taste all the spots
Shizuka, are you following us or we following you? My wife and I were there; Yoichi, followed by Rita’s Kitchen, followed by “Rita’s bar with the same bartender a day or 2 before or after you. Wish we could have met you. Love your channel, Don and Kay.
Wow what a coincidence!! 😆 Hope you enjoyed all of it!
Yay!!! Hi Japan by Food!!! Hi Shizuka Anderson 😍🖤🥰🍻🍺🍣🍣🍣
The food looked delicious & I could almost smell the aromas of the different whiskeys. Very nicely done.
We loved it!
Awesome! The whole episode was very interesting and enjoyable and as always you Shizuka were fantastic.
Thank you as always! :)
I'm Scottish (Aberdeenshire) and a massive whisky lover, I also love visiting Japan. 4 years ago I was on a train from Sapporo to Niseko to go skiing, as I passed through Yoichi I was fizzing inside as I wasn't able to jump off and visit the Nikki distillery! Still really want to go! So this video is really cool to see (and I'm a bit jealous!) but hopefully I'll get back up there. Thanks for doing this :)
We brought back the Nikka Whisky coffee chocolate beans in the little Whisky wooden barrels many years ago. It was such a hit with coffee lovers 😍🎉. Thanks Shizuka for sharing 🙏🏻.
That sounds delish!
Another amazing video! I'm always looking forward to seeing where you are going next. Keep up the great work and... thank you! 👍🏿 😀
Thank you! Will do!
Love this channel! I am glad TH-cam recommended it to me!
Welcome! Thank you for watching!
Watched NHK's morning drama "マッサン" years ago. The founder of Nikka Whiskey and his wife were a truly outstanding couple.
Inspirational!
This was a epic TH-cam Video. Love it all. Thank you for showing us this!!!!
Thank you for watching!
Your videos makes me happy! I can’t wait to go back to Japan!
Please come back soon!
Fun video, thanks. Watching this while enjoying some whiskey
Perfect atmosphere!
Thanks Shizuka. I am going to visit Hokkaido region and this would be a great place to visit.
So excited for this! Thanks for doing a video on Nikka Distillery!!
Thank you so much for watching!
I like whiskey alot, but that pear cocktail sounds intriguing.
Absolute bomb!
Did the vapors of the whisky lift your spirits, Shizuka? I think I could use a dose of that magic too. 😉😜🍷🍸🍹
It definitely had a positive effect!
Love it!💅🏻
Thanks a lot!
Shizuka planning on expanding her future brewery / distillery empire 😉
Great vlog as always
Shizukaaaaaaa
Superb episode!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much!
Nicely produced vid, thank you! I watch a lot of travel and whiskey related vids and this was done really well. (Funny, I was sipping on 3 Nikka whiskies last night and this came up in my feed. No idea why : ) This vid really inspires me visit if ever back in Japan. Nice job, Shizuka, will chk out your other vids! Cheers from YorktownWhiskeyClub
Love to see you should have another video for Suntory whiskey. 😊
And Mars too!!!! 🥃👌🏻
Entertaining video, thanks
Done the Nikka tour and is amazing, great whiskeys to try there!!!😊
awesome..
That's so cool the restaurant has some of Rita's original recipes! Nikka Bar Rita looks so cool and comfy too! Great video as always
It was definitely worth the visit!
Just bought a bottle! and then you release this episode, a few days later awesome !!😂🎉 can’t wait to go here one day!
Hope you enjoy it!
Love you bebe Shizuka ❤❤
Holy mind-fuck! From the 5:00 to the 6:00 mark, we just saw the connection between Milton's Paradise Lost and how Hakutsuru-san's Shintoism understood where the essence of whisky comes from.
Good question about the Shimenawa on the distillery. That was a cool story ❤
I think so too!
Now you have to tour Yamazaki distillery outside of Kyoto...! I can tag along if you want...!
That was fun! The pear drink is my style
That was soooo good!
I can't wait to tour Hokkaido next month. Yoichi is already on my itinerary.
You will LOVE it!
Another great video 📹 👏
Thank you so much!
@JapanbyFood I love your style of videos that maintains the Japanese culture & vibe but offers insights fir Westerners.
Time you teamed up with Sonny again. Maybe a Japanese food tour in Canada?
I so want to go on this tour. I love Japanese Whiskey.
We do too!
Shizuka is back with another cool jacket from her collection. I wonder how many more jackets she has in the wardrobe 😄😄🤗🤗
Gotta keep you on your toes!
Shizuka was not drunk during the making of this episode, honest!
Shizuka in the background: "I am the lizard queen!"
Hello , Shizuka “❤”
That was excellent video ,I like it 🥃 , you’re the best host “😊”
Excellent video! Curious about the last whisky and dining experience cost wise.
Amazing video. You would be the most awesome person to bar hop from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
What an adventure would that be!
Keep being Awesome
You too!
Went to Yamazaki distellery and Nikka distilery....we enjoyed the Nikka tour more
Glad you enjoyed the Nikka!
Now this is a tour I could do being a fan of Nikka Coffey Grain and Nikka From the Barrel offerings.
Oh nice! It is definitely worth the visit!
My comment is, "Brrrrr!!!!!!!!!'🥶
Although the warmth of whisky works well with the cold.
I look forward to every episode.
It was cold but whisky made everything better!
I'll bet!!!@@JapanbyFood
You couldn't have chosen a better place in that cold. Cheers 🥃
The best winter trip!
Great vid guys I do love a good whiskey!!!! 🥃
And Nikka also
P.s I hope shiz never wasted a drop!!! 😊
NEVER! No wasting on this channel!
@@JapanbyFood sugoi!!!!😉👌
Cask strength is strong. And the sip needs to be smaller to enjoy the flavor. Usually, the first sip accustom the taste bud, so you won’t get the full enjoyable flavor on the first sip.
Definitely on my bucket list! Thank you for this amazing video! 🥃
Thank you so much!
I actually went past that Otaru bar when I was first there.
Next time, please pop in!:)
Great video and would love to see you visit my friend's whisky bar in Tokyo called Aloha Whisky!
Thank you for a recommendation!
Love 💕😘😗❤️💓💖💗
:-*
Looks amazing. Curious to know the cost for each of these? Would be helpful to know the price! Thanks
I would share a drink with Shizzy any day. LOL
www.byfood.com/experiences/harajuku-food-tour-with-shizuka-street-food-663 Go for it! :D
nikka whisky~~~~
The war was not so kind to Rita. As a Japanese citizen, she was spared internment and allowed to stay in Yoichi but the secret police suspected her of being a spy.
They accused her of having radio equipment to contact Allied submarines and staged a series of raids on her home. They also shadowed her every move. Harry said: “As the war escalated after Pearl Harbour, her neighbours turned against her - the town’s children pelted her house with rocks and adults ignored her in the street. It was a distressing time.
“I don’t know how she stayed strong in those years. It must have been frightening being so far from home and everyone suspecting you of being the enemy.”
TT Oh no! She was a strong woman for sure!
Marry me, Shizuka Anderson!!!😍
This is awesome, if there’s something that can connect people from across the world it’s alcohol.
For sure!
Agua mivelar ❤❤❤❤
Long time ago I've tasted a 1.92L square-shaped bottle of domestic Nikka Black Clear whisky imported from Japan.
It was very interesting and looks unusual.
After watching the new year sumo tournament I was wondering why the pot stills were adorned as Yokozuna 😂
The most Canadian/Japanese thing about you? You're love of drinking!
Dear, I really like your black backpack 🎒 Can you pls tell me what brand it is or where I can buy one ? 😊❤
Thank you!
OMG wanted to see if I could buy some online to try, that Woody & Vanillic whisky is not cheap! LOL
Fancy stuff!
my nikka
When he hammers the barrel apart. That's what it feels like to pop an ollie on a skateboard. hahahaha
:D had no idea!
😂me either until I heard the snap!@@JapanbyFood
Do they have a store there that we can purchase the Nikka whiskey? 😊
Love hanger steak.
Same:P
I was wondering how the barrels could be so leakproof too 😊.
Now we know!
I was thinking, maybe having subtitles for a Japanese audience could boost your subscriptions. I've noticed many Japan travel TH-camrs include Japanese subtitles, and it seems to make a positive difference.
We will def consider, thank you for your suggestion. As of now making the English subs is quite the process:D
Well done Shizuka, you did promise alcohol. 😀
Hehe:D Always gotta keep the promise!
Hehe.. Balance as you said before. Have a good day.
Whiskey .....
She drunk again? well im back then! Tout suite!
At this rate, we gotta start a new drinking series!
What is hanging steak? I know about hanger steak but not hanging steak?
Nikka please
I'm surprised at how cheap those meals are. The chicken dish is £8.30 and the pork dish works out to just £6.80 UK.
Pretty nice deal!