Umeshu (Plum Wine) is a popular Japanese liqueur that is enjoyed from izakaya to homes. It’s sweet, sour, and fruity and the best part is it’s easy to make!
While I am not much of a drinker, I have always generally liked umeshu. Growing up I would always see my mother drinking it at home and when I got older, I always enjoyed drinking umeshu mixed drinks at izakaya or bars in Japan (my drink of choice). It’s sweet but not too sugary and always tastes refreshing.
Umeshu is made by steeping unripe ume, or Japanese plums, with shochu or another white alcohol (although I’ve seen people make special types with tequila or other alcohol). Ume season is actually quite short – around 1 month, so making homemade umeshu is done seasonally. It takes about 15 minutes to make this drink and only 3 ingredients (SO EASY!) but the catch is that it needs to sit for about 6 months to a year before it’s ready to enjoy.
The Magic 3 Ingredients
1. Ume
Obviously the most important ingredient is ume, or Japanese plums. They need to be unripe so they are tart and sour and green. At this ripeness, they are not edible as-is but they are perfect for flavoring the liqueur. Last year’s batch, however, I waited a little too long on accident and my ume were about 2-3 days too ripe (they were starting to turn yellow) but luckily my umeshu actually ended up okay! In Japan, you will see ume like this popping up all over at markets during the season. In the US, you can find them during the season at some Japanese or Korean markets as well as some smaller producers at farmers markets or online.
2. Rock Sugar
White rock sugar is used to make umeshu. It takes time to dissolve as opposed to just regular white granulated sugar, which helps extract the flavor of the plums at a slower pace, thus making it taste better. Rock sugar can be purchased online or at some Japanese/Asian markets. You can use rock candy as well if you don’t have access to rock sugar. You can also adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe depending on if you like sweet or less-sweet drinks. It is recommended to do half the amount in weight of rock sugar to the plums but if you like it very sweet you can go up to a 1:1 ratio.
3. Shochu/Liquor
Classically, umeshu is made with shochu but other neutral, colorless, near-flavorless distilled liquor can be used (like vodka). Look for 35% ABV (alcohol by volume) or 70 proof (you don’t want your wine to become spoiled). If you are a liquor connoisseur, I recommend getting good quality shochu as it will affect the end product.
You also need a glass jar
You can use any large jar that seals. You can find the “typical” umeshu jars at Japanese markets during the season as well. If you get a larger jar, you can adjust the recipe to match or just use this recipe and don’t fill it up all the way.
How to Enjoy Umeshu
Umeshu is a fun drink because you can enjoy it straight or as a mixed cocktail! Just use a ladle to take out as much as you need for your drink.
- Umeshu on the Rocks (“Umeshu Rokku” in Japanese) – One of the most popular ways to enjoy umeshu: straight with some ice.
- Umeshu Oolong – This is my drink of choice. Mix the umeshu with Ooolong tea!
- Umeshu Sour/Soda – Mix the umeshu with sparkling/soda water (you can even add some honey)
Umeshu also doesn’t really expire. You can keep it for several years even after it’s opened!
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Umeshu (Plum Wine) / 梅酒
Equipment
- 2L or 2.5L jar
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green ume
- 1.75 pounds white rock sugar
- 1.8 liters shochu
Instructions
- Wash your jar with soap and hot water. Then dry completely.
- Dampen a clean towel or paper towel with shochu and wipe the inside of the jar to disinfect.
- Wash and dry the ume completely.
- Remove all the stem ends from the ume with a tooth pick. Be careful not to nick or cut the ume while doing this. Discard any plums that are brown or have deep scratches.
- In the jar, put down a single layer of plums. Then put down a layer of rock sugar on top.
- Repeat this process until you've used all of your ingredients.
- Pour your shochu into the jar until everything is covered.
- Seal the jar and label it with the date. Store it in a cool, dark place for 6 months to a year. Shake the jar periodically throughout the year.
Notes
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