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Bundle 22: Booze 101

The 酔 essay examines intoxication from every angle, including great Osaka bars, studies of drunkards, tipsy cats and wasted elephants, and hangover prevention. The other three essays detail the processes of making saké, shochu, and beer, exploring all of the following (and much more): the ingredients in alcohol, the intricacies of fermentation, modes of distilling and brewing, malt, an old method of making saké by chewing rice and spitting it out, saké as a living entity, the image problem saké once had in Japan, alcoholic offerings to gods, the health benefits of shochu, and using alcohol to make food.
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酵
ferment
JOK: 1265
Find out about yeast, fermentation, and enzymes and the magical changes they produce. See how all three relate to miso, soy sauce, natto, and more, especially regarding umami. Discover which type of yeast people consume directly in Japan. Also learn to say, "Fermentation changes fruit juice into wine," "Yeast makes beer ferment," and "Enzymes break down fat in the body."
醸
brew
JOK: 1425
If you went by the primary meaning of 醸 (brewing) or by the 'saké' radical, you'd have no idea why 醸 pops up in sentences about a house with a strange layout, sad violin playing, a chair that feels luxurious, political controversies, and so on. The essay shows why! It also explains terms related to brewing alcohol, as well as types of ginjo saké (and how it has become less flabby!).
酔
drunk
JOK: 1457
Find out about drunken boxing and a coinage for "wasted on arrival in Japan." Discover how to get cats drunk and what to dilute drinks with to avoid hangovers. Learn to say, "After several drinks, the guy was feeling no pain," "The drunk staggered up to him," "He was put under anesthesia," "Don't you tend to get carsick?" and "You will be intoxicated by this elegant space."
酎
sake
JOK: 2066
Learn how to drink shochu, how to make it, and how to classify it. See how a love of shochu made 16th-century carpenters resentful. Discover what shochu has to do with Marlon Brando, Napoleon, sweet potato shortages, and longevity. Learn when tastelessness is a virtue in a drink. And find out how moonshine inspired a term used to denigrate certain literature.
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