Old fashioned: Japan sake brewer returns to whisky after 60 years

Meiri Shurui repurposes enameled tanks and sherry barrels to add flavor

Meiri Shurui has around 100 barrels ready to start aging its whisky. (Photo by Miho Matsukuma)

MIHO MATSUKUMA, Nikkei staff writer

November 20, 2022 00:10 JST

TOKYO -- With young consumers losing their taste for sake, time-honored Japanese brewer Meiri Shurui is hoping to find a new revenue source in whisky.

The company has begun making whisky again for the first time in 60 years. It has already secured a license for this second foray into the business, seeking to tap into the growing popularity of Japanese whisky overseas.