Every year for 10 years I have maintained the ritual of making “Home-made Umeshu (Japanese plum wine)” in the early summer. The window for the best Ume is very short and it can vary from year to year, falling at some point between the very end of May and early June. During this short window, I always order my Ume from the same farmer, who grows them using only the minimum amount of agrichemicals. Their Ume are always large and heavy, smell very good, and their plumpness tells they have been grown by good hands. On the day that we make Umeshu, the entire home is filled with the fresh, sweet scent of Ume and this is how we enjoy the early summer as Japanese.
Basic Umeshu, Shochu-based
The recipe for Umeshu is very simple and can be very rough! The basic recipe is based on Shochu (distilled Sake) and vintaged with rock sugar. This year’s Ume were still green when delivered. Green Ume will produce an Umeshu with a fruity and acidic flavor, so I increased the amount of rock sugar a bit (+10%) to provide a balance of acidity and sweetness. Girls always love this acidic flavor! All the ingredients are placed in a jar and left to steep for 10 months in a cold, dark place.
Whiskey-based Umeshu for whiskey lovers
Many boys like a “whiskey-based” version for its bitterness and smoky aroma. For whiskey-based Umeshu, use less rock suger compared to shochu-based Umeshu, in order to get the aroma balance of Ume and whiskey just right. Whiskey-based Umeshu develops faster than shochu-based Umeshu, which means you can start enjoying it after 6-8 months.
Shochu-based Umeshu
How to choose shochu?: My recommendation is to use “rice-shochu” or “wheat-shochu.” ”Awamori-shochu”, a type of rice-shochu makes it sweeter. To avoid fermentation, be sure to use one with an alcohol content great than 35%. My recent favorite has been a wheat-shochu, as this retains the acidity of Ume nicely.
Recipe:Ume: Shochu: Rock Sugar = 1: 1.5: 0.5. Use less sugar if the plums are mature.
How long to wait to taste?: You can start enjoying it after 10 months. It’s the best to consume it within 2 years. The wheat-base is slow-growing, so wait 1.5 years for it to be at its best.
Whiskey-based Umeshu
How to choose shochu?: Avoid whiskey with a complex taste as this will kill the original Ume flavor and end up tasting like a normal cocktail. There is no need to buy an expensive one, chap whiskey is good enough as all w really need from it is a simple smoky aroma. You may be thinking, why not Brandy? The resason is that its taste is too complex, meaing it kills the Ume taste!
Recipe: Ume: Whisky: Rock Suger = 1: 1.2: 0.3-4. Use less sugar if the plums are mature.
How long to wait to taste?: You can start enjoying it after 8-10 months. The whiskey-based version does not really suit too long vintage, so aim to finish it within 2 years.