A boozy waltz: Sake brewed to world-class orchestral track
Hiroshi Sakurai, chairperson of Asahi Shuzo Co., and Philipp Gardie, vice president of the Austrian Federal Institute of Industry, with bottles of 'Dassai — Composing the Future' on May 22 in Osaka. (Akina Nishi)
OSAKA—Renowned Dassai sake maker Asahi Shuzo Co. and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber unveiled a collaborative brew at the Osaka Kansai Expo's Austria Pavilion on May 22.
The sake 'Dassai — Composing the Future" features the pavilion's theme in its name as a literal interpretation of it, with the collaborators adding the unconventional step of playing music performed by the leading orchestras of both countries in the sake's fermentation tank for about 40 days.
Production began in the summer of 2023 at the suggestion of the Austrian side.
Johann Strauss II's 'Lagoon-Waltz' was selected as the specific piece and was performed by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, the world's most prestigious orchestra, and the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra in separate recording sessions.
The recordings were then combined into a single track for Asahi Shuzo to play as brewers worked on the sake that was completed in March.
According to the brewer based in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, having it on loop was not a gimmick. The sound wavelengths from the waltz were enough to vibrate the tank, facilitating the release of dissolved gas and changing the yeast's behavior throughout the fermentation process.
A representative of the company said, 'The sake tastes very rounded and soft after 40 days of listening to the music around the clock.'
Hiroshi Sakurai, the company's chairperson, said, 'When we received the proposal, we were beyond thrilled. We have been working hard to produce good sake, and it shows in the taste.'
Philipp Gardie, vice president of the Austrian Federal Institute of Industry, attended the unveiling ceremony and said the beverage represents music and sake well, the two being embedded in the culture and values of both countries.
Limited to 8,000 bottles, this rendition of Dassai is now available at the Austrian pavilion as well as department stores in the Kansai region until Oct. 13, the expo's last day.
Each bottle is 720 ml and costs 8,000 yen ($56).
It can also be found in Austria and certain parts of Europe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Austrian daily under fire after Clint Eastwood slams 'phony' interview
An Austrian newspaper came under fire Tuesday after Hollywood star Clint Eastwood said an alleged interview with him published by the paper to mark his 95th birthday was "entirely phony". The row was sparked by a purported interview with the Oscar-winning actor and director carried by the German-language Kurier newspaper Friday. In the interview, which was picked up widely by American media over the weekend, Eastwood criticizes a lack of fresh ideas in the current film industry as "we live in an era of remakes and franchises". "I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote films like 'Casablanca' in small bungalows on the studio lot. When everyone had a new idea," he was quoted as saying. "My philosophy is, do something new or stay at home," it adds. In a statement to Deadline magazine published Monday, Eastwood said "I thought I would set the record straight". "I can confirm I've turned 95. I can also confirm that I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony," he added. On Tuesday evening, the editorial team of the Vienna-based Kurier said its freelancer Elisabeth Sereda had compiled the interview by citing from "a total of 18" round table conversations with Eastwood. But since the article was published as an interview and not as a profile, the daily said it would cut ties with the author. "Even though no quotes have been fabricated, the interviews are documented and the allegations of falsification can be refuted, we will not be working with the author in the future because transparency and our strict editorial standards are paramount to us," Kurier said in a statement published on its website. The newspaper had recently published interviews by Sereda with celebrities such as Jude Law and Elton John. © 2025 AFP
Asahi Shimbun
5 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Tohoku Kizuna Festival coming to Osaka Kansai Expo in mid-June
Hundreds of dancers from northeastern Japan will descend on the Osaka Kansai Expo site in mid-June to showcase the flavor of the Tohoku region's biggest summer festive event. It will be the first time for the Tohoku Kizuna Festival to be held outside of the six prefectural capitals that make up the Tohoku region. The executive committee chaired by Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kori announced the outline of the parade on May 13. Approximately 550 people from the six prefectures will take part. The parade will be held twice daily on June 14 and 15 at the 'Matsuri' outdoor event plaza for about 50 minutes each time. The Tohoku Kizuna Matsuri was first held in 2017 by incorporating the Tohoku Rokkonsai Festival that started in 2011 to repose the souls of the nearly 20,000 people who perished in the Great East Japan Earthquake and related tsunami disaster and to pray for recovery of the region. The festival has been held in rotation once a year in each of the six capital cities. Last year, when it was held in Sendai, a record 572,000 people attended. This year, for the first time, the festival will be held outside of the six cities. It will feature participants from the Aomori Nebuta Festival; Akita Kanto Festival; Morioka Sansa Odori Festival; Yamagata Hanagasa Festival; Sendai Tanabata Festival; and Fukushima Waraji Festival. The Sendai Tanabata Festival will feature Suzume-odori dance. From June 13 to 15, tourist information and traditional craft workshops will be available at the venue. 'We hope that the expo will be an opportunity to learn more about the Tohoku region and promote its charms,' said an executive committee official.
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Himeji Castle Forms Sister Castle Partnership with Austria's Schoenbrunn Palace; Both UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Yomiuri Shimbun Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, center, and Himeji Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto, right, at the signing ceremony for the sister castle partnership between Himeji Castle and Schoenbrunn Palace on May 24 in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. HIMEJI, Hyogo — A sister castle partnership has been established between Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, and Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna. Schoenbrunn Palace is now the fourth sister castle of Himeji Castle. A ceremonial signing for the sister castle partnership was held at Himeji Castle with Himeji Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in attendance on May 24. Van der Bellen's visit to Japan coincided with Austria's National Day event at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Both parties agreed to proactively promote tourism exchanges between the city and Austria. Schoenbrunn Palace is known for hosting the Congress of Vienna in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Courtesy of Himeji city government Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna Last spring, when Austrian government officials visited Himeji Castle, also a World Heritage Site, they proposed the idea of a partnership to Himeji officials. A basic agreement was signed in November. 'I'm confident that the partnership will help promote exchanges in a variety of fields and strengthen the ties between Japan and Austria,' Kiyomoto said. Austrian President Van der Bellen expressed his hope to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
