It's sizzling, fizzing and smoking. Be it a Cervelat, a Bratwurst, a hearty steak or a spiced up fish - in the glass there has to be sake this summer!

The Swiss barbecue season has started...
shizuku is pleased to spoil all the grill chefs with the perfect companion.

The Smoky
In line with the phrase 'an excellent drink is part of a delicious meal', the round, fleshy and powerful Kuriyazake is great to intense meals and barbecue as well as an ingredient in the preparation of them due to its high amino acid content and umami.

The BBQ Junmai
Inatahime Ryokan surprises with a salty and leathery nose. Aromas of lime blossom and soja mix with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco and nutmeg. A very round and intense Junmai, delightful for your barbecue.

The Tangy
Paprika, nutmeg, pine needles, olive tapenade as well as smoked ham and meat pastry in the nose and oily, resinous, smokey and spicy-fleshy in the palate. Goriki Junmai is an aromatic and powerful sake with lots of umami and the perfect match to a barbecue party.

The Adventure
Kozaemon Yamahai Junmai is a veritable taste expedition! With its intense and earthy flavours and also a lot of umami a sensational sake to hearty dishes. If it is a 'Bündner Gerstensuppe' with bacon in winter, it has to be a T-Bone steak or a juicy sausage in summer.

Heat up the grill and treat yourself to this culinary delight.

June 9, 2018

The ball is rolling, the beer is cool – kick off!

‘Samurai Blue’, the Japanese national football team, is visiting Lugano today and faces our ‚Nati’.

Just in time for the football World Cup shizuku increases its team and is pleased to introduce to you the entries from the Baird Brewing Company:

... Single Take Session Ale: An effervescent, fruity and peppery-spicy Session Ale
... Rising Sun Pale Ale: A powerful, brisk Pale Ale with a refreshing citrus-hop character
... and Teikoku IPA: An extremely complex India Pale ale with a distinctive hop and malt character

So then... ‚kanpai’ to the last test before the football World Cup, with a hearty Japanese craft beer.

June 8, 2018

A truly royal drop of Japan

The combination of Yamada Nishiki rice, the king of the rices, and water from Itami in the Hyogo Prefecture makes Daihoju an extremely complex, refreshing and powerful sake.

Fragrant, crisply fresh, grassy and yeasty in the nose, this Junmai Daiginjo is reminiscent of yellow fruits, with a hint of liquorice and a subtle citrus note.

Powerful and lively in the palate, lime juice as well as green chili and banana, with a light sweetness of mirabelles and a present acidity.

As a chilled, elegant aperitif or as an accompaniment to an exclusive Wagyu beef from UMAI Wagyu, this Junmai Daiginjo is indeed a truly royal drop of Japan.

May 18, 2018

A special culinary delight in the middle of Zurich!

The team at restaurant Drei Stuben, known for their classical all-time favourites like 'Zürcher-Geschnetzeltes' or 'Hackbraten', is pleased to spoil you with a 5 course special menu during three weeks, accompanied by a harmonious sake flight from shizuku.

Get excited from this exquisite sake pairing course by course and discover the Japanese national drink in a perfect harmony to Swiss cuisine.

Your seat in one of the three cosy parlours or outside on the large garden terrace under the shady trees can be reserved here.

May 16, 2018

Japan is visiting Worb

Japanese delicacies, traditional tea ceremonies and different drops of the Japanese national drink sake.

Stroll through the centrally located, modern Bärensaal in Worb on Sunday afternoon, become infected with the social sense of life and explore the surprising variety of flavours of Japanese premium drops.

shizuku is pleased to welcome you at its stall at the Japan Bazar and to give advice and inspiration to you on site (including direct sale).

May 14, 2018

Mysterious geishas and legendary monsters, high-tech and crazy fashion trends. Colorful manga worlds, neon lights and an inspiring food culture. Japan fascinates. And Japan is booming!

Consequently, JapAniManga Night is attracting Japan fans into the mountains of Graubünden year after year by many attractions. Explore thrilling shows and concerts, exciting presentations, movies, stars and DJs with other Japan fans and cosplayers from all over the world.

And indulge yourself with a noble premium drop on top. shizuku is pleased to spoil you once again at its stall in Davos (including direct sale).

More info on this event are to be found here.

May 12, 2018

Moms are the best.

24/7 they are here for us and devote their time without being asked, unpaid and with all their heart.

Arigato! Say 'thank you' - with style and a grain of particularity, because mom deserves it.

The artful bouquet
What about a colourful bunch of flowers, decorated with small shizuku vouchers, folded into little origami – the Japanese art of paper folding?

The delightful surprise for a whole year
Spoil her senses with a gift, that lasts for an entire year. With the shizuku annual subscription you will receive four selected surprise drops matching the respective season.

The common experience
Enjoy time together and visit our exciting events such as the pleasurable sake lecture, the culinary harmony of sake and cheese or the thrilling sake blind tasting.

shizuku is pleased to help assisting you for the ideal choice, of course also personally at shizuku Store.

April 29, 2018

Konnichiwa Cherry Blossom – hello cocktail summer!

The delicate pink Japanese flower mixes up the Swiss cocktail world with a strong and sweetish-bitter relish.

The creative guys from Mikks squeeze, chop and mix their fresh and handmade mixer with lots of love and passion. In cooperation with shizuku, they created the perfect, ready-made mixer for your sake cocktails in their production facility. 

Mikks it. Shake it. Kanpai!

Be it as a fresh aperitif on the sun terrace or skillfully served after dinner... Turn into a barkeeper with taste and style!

The Sake Mikks Cherry Blossom - available as of today at shizuku Store or online.

April 10, 2018

The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival is blooming, also in Switzerland.

The team at restaurant NOOHN hosts an own Hanami Streetfood Festival dedicated to the Japanese Sakura (Cherry Blossom) and invites you to this culinary and tempting Hanami festival.
Taste various delicacies from different regions of Japan and have a feast 'à discretion' at the stalls.

shizuku is pleased to be part of it and to inspire you on site with different premium sake, matching to the season.

April 6, 2018

With your coffee, as a dessert or as a fruity and sweet delicacy for in-between. The pralumé matches always!

Sweet it itself at Easter with our fresh and irresistible confectionary delicacy. A crispy couverture of dark chocolate filled with crunchy creamy ganache and the fruity-sweetish Ohako Umeshu.

The confectionery ladies from Löw Delights, well known for their sweet Löwenküsse, worked meticulously with shizuku and made the pralumé even more irresistible and lovely.

pralumé by shizuku – the chocolate with umeshu... or the sweet temptation for Easter. 

Now available at shizuku Store.

March 13, 2018

An exquisite glass in sunny Ticino

Stroll through this exceptional Japan Festival with a Ticino cosiness and get fascinated by tradition and modernity. Among concerts and live shows there will be exhibitions, workshops and a feast for your mouth by varios delights from the Japanese kitchen.

shizuku is pleased to attract you to the sunny Ticino this year as well and to welcome you at its stall on site. Try out sake and umeshu of high quality and explore the exciting variety of the Japanese drops (including direct sale).

More info on this event are to be found here.

March 6, 2018

Monday evening, end of work. Perfect for a relaxing moment at a cosy spot – at a sake bar, an authentic sake bar.

The mentioned spot is Ginger Sake Bar in the middle of Zurich Seefeld.

In addition to Japanese Izakaya style snacks and a variety of warm and cold dishes from the restaurant and the sushi bar, the bartender serves Japanese cocktails and exquisite sake, skilfully also from 1.8 litres isshobin bottles.

And the wide selection is unique in the Limmatstadt. From a light, exotic aperitif up to aromatic food companions, sake connoisseurs as well as culinarily curious persons find an evening-filling assortment.

On March 26, Certified Sake Professional Marc Nydegger mingles with the guests once again and is looking forward to a casual exchange. Afterwork with a good glass of sake in a cosy atmosphere.

February 16, 2018

Sake relish at Löwenbrau-Areal

The team of teo jakob creates rooms full of atmosphere, character and passion with their interior design. And in exactly these rooms there will be a toast, with a noble drop from Japan.

What does sake have in common with cheese?
This is what teo jakob wants to find out and is welcoming you at their branch at Löwenbräu-Areal. Japanologist and sake expert Marc Nydegger will take you into the world of the Japanese national drink, will bring closer to you its history, its manufacturing process and its different types, during a short but exciting lecture. And at the same time you will experience a new dimension of food pairing - at this cozy and classy event.

Taste exquisite premium drops from Japan in combination with a selected range of cheese from Amstad Chäslädeli and find out, thanks to Jan Röthlisberger himself, how the Swiss company Röthlisberger developed the award-winning 'Stabellenstuhl' in collaboration with the Japanese designer Tomoko Azumi.

An evening with style - and a drop of Japan.

February 15, 2018

The classic companion to cheese fondue is a dry white wine. Used properly, the exotic companion from Japan convinces as well!

Classic vs. exotic

Mövenpick Weinkeller at Jelmoli Zürich puts it to the test und invites to the Fondue Battle. Fabio Montalbano, Winemaker of Staatskellerei Zürich, serves you the classic companion. And sake expert Marc Nydegger presents the exotic rice wine, the Nihonshu.

Enjoy a delicious fondue mix and decide for yourself. shizuku is gladly accepting the challenge and is looking forward to surprise you positively.

January 29, 2018

Dear connoisseur

Japan stands for tradition and an exclusive quality recording the food culture. It is therefore not surprising, that the best and most expensive meat comes from Japan: the Wagyu.

Only since 2014 the import is approved, the worldwide demand for this exquisit meat of the Japanese cattle breed is huge. Sebastian Stöveken and his team from UMAI WAGYU import the certified Miyazaki-gyu directly from the farmers of the Miyazaki region and make it possible for us to enjoy a new dimension of meat.

Next to its high marbling, Wagyu has a sizeable base of unsaturated fatty acids up to 50 percent. That's why also the pure and white-glossy cattle fat is a must have in the kitchen of every single gourmand.

Due to the partnership with UMAI WAGYU shizuku is pleased to arrange contact and to provide to you, dear connoisseur, this pure and white Wagyu tallow now in the lineup.

Wheter to sear meat, fish oder vegetables or as a base for a Fondue Bourguignonne... Bring umami in your kitchen!

January 11, 2018

The small, tubby pine cone

Shortly ripened in barrels, this round, harmonious Junmai has refreshing notes of cedar wood and lavender. Tangy and balanced in the palate with a dry and slightly resinous aftertaste.

'Every single yoshino cedar barrel has its own characteristic.
The faithful manual production of the taru (wooden barrel) is therefore essential and I see it as my mission and passion', says Takeshi Tamura (49), Kiku Masamune Brewery, specialised in taru production for over 30 years. 'The barrels we produce with heart are made out of more than hundred years old wood. To know that our taru sake finds now also its way to Switzerland and gets appreciated there, fulfills me with delight!' 

The Brewery gives high attention to sake pairing, is focused on the traditional kimoto method and produces masterly complex and full-bodied sake that are excellent food companions.

Such as Kiku Masamune Taru Sake. 
shizuku recommends this light but tasteful drop to fish, especially to sushi und sashimi.

January 10, 2018

Dear connoisseur

Oysters are among the most precious products that nature offers. With the appropriate glass of premium sake, as for example the strong and complex Shirayuki Edo Genroku, the delight gets to its perfection.

shizuku is pleased to present you continuously tasty ideas for the relish around sake.

Savour, for example, mussels in an exquisite sake liquid, spaghetti alle vongole deglazed with a spicy sake, various pasta or rice variations with a full-bodied sake cream sauce or lash out on a glass noble premium sake to fried scallops.

Or try sake in harmony with cheese, as a delicate ingredient for a soup or as recommended as a noble pendant to oysters. Experience japanese drops in new dimensions.

More recipes and suggestions you will find here.

January 7, 2018

Sake is drunk warm, isn't it? – An experience, but depending on the right sake.

Depending on the drinking temperature, the very same sake can reveal different aromas and flavours. This is another evidence that sake is a unique alcoholic beverage.

To enjoy sake that is mentioned to be drunken warm, is an extraordinary drinking experience.
shizuku is pleased to recommend you some inspiring and surprising drops for the cold winterdays.

Sake to heat
shizuku recommends...
... the smooth, full-bodied Asahimai Junmai
... the round and intense Inatahime Ryokan
... the strong, earthy-dry Miyabi
... the elegant, light Nouvelle Honjozo

How to heat?
A special drinking experience to enjoy hot sake in the traditional way and with the original accessoires. shizuku recommends...
... the sake heater Yusen
... the sake heater Kurosuisho

January 3, 2018