In beautiful display cases created with the help of a shodo (Japanese art of calligraphy) master who hand-crafted beautiful characters, on the seventh floor we find a pop-up shop dedicated to Suntory House, where you can find all the works of the historic Japanese company, some of which are arriving in Italy for the first time . We tried them (and for you too): that’s why our distillates still lack time, harmony and purity…
TOSome whiskeys from the Japanese house have mind-blowing prices because they are in high demand by collectors from all over the world. Indeed, during lunch it was impossible La Rinascente in Milan more than an inch of liquid is poured into the glass. However, the writer was lucky enough to have a kind of “stone guest” next to him, and therefore he took the opportunity to enjoy a double dose of each mention. A privilege given by fate. When prohibition was in effect in the United States, founder of Suntory House, Shinjiro Torii, distilled the first Japanese whiskey in 1923. And what whiskey. In fact, Tory was convinced that high-quality single malt whiskey could even be made in the Isles of the Rising Sun. He had amazing intuition. While Americans were eating their hearts out because they couldn’t legally drink a single drop of any alcoholic beverage, the distillery was born in Japan, named Yamazaki, is still working and takes first place in the ratings of the most authoritative. So in 1936 he also produced the first Japanese gin, and in 1956, the year of Stalin’s death, he also produced the first Japanese vodka.
PSince everything in Japan is based on a deep vision of the world and activities, Suntory House follows at least three categorical imperatives in the production of each of his distillates: time, purity, harmony. Time is of the essence in creating any job well done. For example, purity is the fundamental purity of water. There is no high quality distillate that does not come from pure water sources. Harmony is mutual understanding with nature. Does anyone remember the movie Lost in translation Director Sofia Coppola with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson? In the film, the actor moderately but constantly drinks Suntory whiskey. Today, if you want to get into the spirit of this film, you can also experience it for a while in Milan or even at home. There is a lot of talk about Mal d’Afrique, such as a feeling of nostalgia and a desire to return to that continent, but many suffer from Mal d’Japan. Another country where you can get lost.
WithWhat can we find in La Rinascente until July 18th? Like a business card, beautiful showcases created with shodo master (Japanese art of calligraphy) creating beautiful ideograms by hand. Then on the seventh floor we find a special pop-up store where you can check out all the products of the Japanese company, some of which are coming to Italy for the first time. But, my God, what amazing tastes! From whiskey, vodka and gin. Yamazaki 12 and 18 years old, a 100th anniversary limited edition. And by 12 and 18 we mean the youngest vintages of the Single Malt blend. This is followed by a more peaty yet delicately peaty whiskey: Hakushu 12 and 18 years old. However, for wallets less than full of banknotes, there are other noteworthy products, starting with the famous one. Roku Jin. Even in Italy, some distilleries are starting to produce single malts, but that is still a long way off. And above all, time, harmony and purity are needed. That is, translating to Bel Paese not only a corner of Scotland, but also Japan.