One sweltering afternoon in the thick of summer, I was wandering the streets of Kyoto when I came across a Choya Specialty Store. Tempted by a signage advertising what looked to be a refreshing cup of ume soda, I rushed into the cool, elegant store and was greeted by a minimalist, elegant little workshop space.

At the front of the store, visitors can order from a menu of to-go non-alcoholic drinks featuring Choya's housemade plum syrup. Parched and sunburnt, I wasted no time ordering myself an iced Choya plum syrup with soda water (¥550) - an unbelievably welcome refreshment that brought some reprieve from the 40 degree celsius weather. 

Icy cold drink secured, I ventured deeper into the store and saw rows of different variants of ume plums, as well as different types of sweeteners. It looked like a sophisticated yet playful science lab that got the umeshu lover in me giddy with excitement. 

As it turns out, at the Choya Specialty Store, visitors can sign up to participate in regular umeshu making workshops. During these workshops, the staff will introduce participants to the different types of ume plum variants and their distinctive flavors, as well as how the choice of sugar - regular sugar, rock sugar, brown sugar - used to infuse the plum spirit will affect the final umeshu. 

Umeshu is essentially made by mixing a liquor, ume plums and a type of sweetner together, and allowing it to steep for a few months. Each workshop participant will be gifted an umeshu making kit, and are given a choice to select their desired ume plum variant and type of sweetener to make their own plum syrup. Non drinkers can omit the alcohol from their bottles, otherwise, participants can subsequently also choose from four type of liquors to steep the ume fruits in. 

Experimenting workshop participants can also seek inspiration from the store's beautiful gallery wall, which features different umeshu variants across the different stages of the fermentation process.

It's a pity I hadn't known about this place before I planned my trip to Kyoto! I'm told by the staff that workshops are pre-booked about two weeks in advance.

If you are interested to attend the Choya umeshu making workshop for yourself and looking to avoid my rookie tourist mistake, you can make an early booking at this link. Do note however that workshops are only conducted in Japanese, though English translation will be available on the accompanying written materials! 

Reenergised by my fleeting yet wonderful encounter with the Choya specialty store, I grab my drink and venture back out into the streets. Nishiki market is a few blocks down the road, and I can almost hear a skewer of grilled squid and a strawberry daifuku calling out my name... 

| Read more: Selling Ice To An Eskimo: How Choya Turned A Homemade Liqueur Into A Global Phenomenon

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