The idea of seasonality in what we eat has become popular in recent years, whether we’re thinking about the meals we prepare at home, or what we expect to see on menus when we dine out. But it is probably not something many of us consider too often when it comes to what we order at the bar. Yet more than a century ago in Japan, an innovative liquor importer dreamed of creating spirits that spoke to his country’s seasonal flavours.
Inspired by the western brands he was importing, Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii set about producing new drinks calibrated to suit Japanese tastes. He did this by selecting ingredients familiar to the domestic palate that he could use in his liquors, and by embracing the concept known in Japanese as shun: the tradition of enjoying every food in its proper season, and only when the ingredients are at the peak of their flavours.
