High Life

94 品 由于二战时期的粮食配给及物资短缺，杜氏们除了使用酿造酒精外，别无他 法。战后，非纯米系列清酒迎来了鼎盛时期，但风头近年已被纯米系列清酒盖 过。清酒作为政府税收重要组成部分的光景已不复存在，但其仍然是日本当仁不 让的国酒。去芜存菁后，日本现存的两千多家清酒酒造大多是家族经营、历史悠 久且品质卓越的精品酒庄。 「简而言之，清酒在如入瓶后即可享用，一般不会因陈年而增添风味。 清爽芬芳的清酒适合冷饮，而浓郁厚重的清酒则适合常温饮用或暖饮。」 李天彦 彬彬有礼、操流利日语的李天彦先生，是港澳地区首屈一指的日本清酒专 家，在日式餐饮业中拥有近二十年经验。多年来，他一直致力推广日本清酒，其 间更在港澳地区培训清酒专业人才。 下列四款非纯米系列清酒，均由李天彦先生的酒谚和酒家有限公司代理及提 供。 Due to food rationing and shortages during WWII, the use of brewer’s alcohol was a necessity rather than an option. In the postwar period, the non- junmai line of sake had seen its heyday, before its junmai counterpart began grabbing all the headlines in recent years. Sake may no longer be a major source of tax revenue, but it remains an emblem of Japan. Of the 2,000 or so shuzos that survive to this day, most are family-owned, time-honoured and quality-driven smallholdings. “As a rule of thumb, sake does not benefit from ageing, and is meant to be consumed soon after bottling. Fragrant and refreshing ones are usually served chilled, whereas pungent and substantial ones can be served at room temperature or even warm.” Tony Lee With fluent Japanese and nearly two decades of experience in the trade, the softly spoken and eminently courteous Tony Lee is one of the leading experts in Japanese sake and cuisine in the region. Over the years, he has been actively involved in promoting Japan’s national drink as well as training sake professionals in Hong Kong and Macau. The following sakes, covering the entire non-junmai line, are supplied by Tony Lee’s ShugenWashuya Ltd.