BREWERY NEWSLETTER – CHOYA VOL.01 –

Introducing Japan’s Sake Breweries

About CHOYA UMESHU (Habikino, Osaka)

CHOYA was founded in 1914 as a winery in Osaka. In 1959, the company made the historic decision to shift our major business toward the production of traditional Japanese alcoholic beverages made from ume fruit. Until then, these beverages were only made by Japanese families at home. Now, we specialize in ume fruit liqueur under the brand name of CHOYA.

Brewery Newsletter from CHOYA

Ume Fruit Liqueur

To produce delicious ume fruit liqueur, the first requirement is to develop high-quality soil in order to grow the finest quality ume fruit. The basic mechanism is to develop organic soil containing soil-residing microbes, which encourage our ume trees to absorb the power of the ground.

All ume fruit used by CHOYA are only grown in such distinctive soil conditions.
By sharing this concept with the Japanese farmers (especially in Wakayama and Nara), we
consistently get high-quality dedicated ume fruit to produce CHOYA Quality products.

Communicating the Spirit of Japan

Daily life in Japan is given colour and beauty by the country’s four distinct seasons. The beginning of summer brings with it the rainy season, which leaves the fruit of the ume trees ripe and rich with organic acids. Umeshu and umeboshi, a pickled ume fruit, are the result of this natural gift of the season – with the addition of some human innovation.

Ume has been celebrated in Japan since ancient times; the fruit is praised in many of the works in Manyoshu (An Anthology of Ten Thousand Leaves), Japan’s oldest collection of poetry. The ume is an integral part of Japan’s culture and nature, and the importance that Japanese people have placed in the ume over the years is testament to the central role of cuisine and of well-being in their daily lives.

CHOYA’s Mission

CHOYA was launched in 1914, as a viticulturist. An encounter with ume, a fruit grown in Japan to world-leading quality, led the company to begin developing a wide variety of products. We are determined to continuously exploit our endless appetite for exploration, and our impressive technical expertise developed through pioneering research, in order to deliver outstanding products to consumers all around the world.
Umeshu is the tool we have chosen to communicate the spirit of Japan to the rest of the world. This is our mission at CHOYA.

Unchangingly Delicious

CHOYA has strict standards in place for each stage of our production, from the careful selection of ume fruit, to the steeping process, and the final stage of maturation. These standards allow us to keep our products tasting delicious, always. We strive to have our loyal customers to come back, to seek out our delicious taste and wonderful aroma we provide.

Serving Up Smiles

At CHOYA, we have primarily marketed our Umeshu to be best enjoyed as an aperitif, because we believe in encouraging the responsible consumption of alcohol. But we do not believe this is the only possibility for enjoying Umeshu. Just as the dinner table is a place for lively conversation in many Western countries, we would like to see families gathered around the table communicating, enjoying each others’ company, and smiling. This is why “Serving Up Smiles” is one of our mottos.

Towards Global Popularity

Towards Global Popularity
To make delicious Umeshu, the first requirement is high-quality ume fruit. Here at CHOYA, however, we go much further, working with ume growers to research and develop ume ideally suited for use in Umeshu. This dedication is rooted in our strong sense of mission: to deliver delicious Umeshu, perfected in Japan’s climate and culture, to the rest of the world.

Lifestyle Enrichment Overflowing with CHOYA Innovation

There are few things in this world which can truly enrich our lives, providing us with long-term satisfaction and pleasure. We are always thinking about how CHOYA can improve the lives of our customers. How can our products bring joy? What recipes and styles might enhance their relaxation? We will continue our commitment to innovating and improving, so our customers can recognise the value of our products.