Language
Wet Your Whistle
A trip to the Yamazaki whisky distillery is a great opportunity to practice your Japanese! You’ll have English audio guides for the tour but when you get to the really good part (the samples and whisky library at the end!) it’ll be time to whip out your best nihongo.
First thing’s first, you’ll need to say if you like it neat (sutoreto de), on the rocks (rokku de), or with soda (souda wari).
If you’re not a whisky fan, but have been dragged along for the ride, you could ask to see if they have anything else takes your fancy, perhaps plum wine (umeshu), or a simple draft beer (nama biru). Whatever your poison, be careful (kiyotsukete); if you find it too (nomiyasui) (easy to drink) you may feel the need for a little hair of the dog that bit you (mukaezake) to help ease your way through the next day! (A mizuwari is a good option for this; ice, whisky, and a lot of water mixed!).
Kampai!
Useful Expressions
| What do you recommend? | おすすめは なんですか？ | Osusume wa nan desu ka? |
| How old is this whisky? | この ウイスキーは なんねん もの ですか？ | Kono uisukii wa nan nen mono desuka? |
| How much does that cost? | それは いくら ですか？ | (Sore wa) ikura desuka? |
| One more please. | もう いっぱい ください。 | Mou ippai kudasai. |
| I’m feeling buzzed. | ほろよい です。 | Horoyoi desu. |
| I haven’t been drinking much recently. | さいきんは あまり のんでいません。 | Saikin wa amari nondeimasen. |
| This whisky is strong. | この ウイスキー は つよい です。 | Kono uisukii wa tsuyoi desu. |
| What bar snacks do you have? | どんな おつまみ が ありますか？ | Don na otsumami ga arimasuka? |
| I like the atmosphere in here. | ここの ふんいきが すきです。 | Koko no funiki ga suki desu. |
