Pre-reading questions:
- What do you know about the ingredients used in making different types of whiskies or spirits?
- How do you think whisky or spirits are perceived by different age groups or cultural backgrounds?
Vocabulary:
- expand /ik-SPAND/
- compromise /KOM-pruh-mahyz /
- reputation /rep-yuh-TEY-shuhn/
- exceptional /ik-SEP-shuh-nl/
- spirit /SPIR-it /
[verb] – to increase in size, number, or importance, or to make something increase in this way
The company aims to expand its market reach by targeting international customers.
[noun] – an agreement in an argument in which the people involved reduce their demands or change their opinion in order to agree
The product’s success lay in finding a compromise between affordability and high quality.
[noun] – the opinion that people in general have about someone or something, or how much respect or admiration someone or something receives, based on past behaviour or character
The company’s exceptional customer service and consistent product quality built a strong reputation in the business community.
[adjective] – much greater than usual, especially in skill, intelligence, quality, etc.
The pianist delivered an exceptional performance that captivated the entire audience.
[noun] – distilled alcoholic beverages with a high alcohol content, including liquors like whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, etc.
The bar offered a variety of spirits, ranging from aged whiskies to flavored vodkas.
Article reading:
Despite being smaller compared to big companies like Suntory, these new distilleries have big dreams on a worldwide level. Taiko Nakamura, the driving force behind Shizuoka Distillery since it started in 2016, got inspired while visiting Scotland. Seeing a small-scale distillery succeed in the global whisky market sparked his ambition to make whisky cherished worldwide. Craft whisky in Japan experienced rapid growth and decline, with single malts and blends gaining global recognition in 2008, leading to a demand that outstripped supply by 2015. This scarcity caused prices to skyrocket, pushing industry leaders like Suntory and Nikka to expand production and whisky reserves, aiming to keep up quality standards. However, concerns have arisen in the industry regarding potential compromises in product quality, posing a risk to Japan’s well-known reputation for exceptional whisky. Nakamura from Shizuoka stresses the dedication required to maintain the heritage of outstanding Japanese whisky, emphasizing the importance of staying committed to making exceptional Japanese spirits.
Comprehension questions
- Where is Shizuoka Distillery located, and what distinguishes it from other whisky producers in Japan?
- How long has Japan been involved in crafting whisky, and what milestone does the country mark in 2023?
- What unique method does Shizuoka Distillery use in the production of whisky, and where do they get the resource for this process?
- Despite being smaller in size, what aspirations do new distilleries in Japan have on a global scale?
- What inspired Taiko Nakamura to start Shizuoka Distillery, and how did the craft whisky industry in Japan evolve from 2008 to 2015?
Discussion questions
- Is whiskey the most popular alcoholic drink in your country? Why? If not, what other drinks are more popular, and what makes them so favored?
- Have you been to a memorable distillery, big or small? What stood out and how did it shape your view of the spirits produced there? If not, would you want to visit one? Why or why not?
- Do you think the rise of craft distilleries, like Shizuoka Distillery in Japan, reflects a shift in people preferring unique, local drinks?
- How might smaller distilleries, like Shizuoka in Japan, change perceptions about what makes a great whisky? How could this impact the whisky market?
- With the growing global demand for Japanese whisky, how can emerging distilleries like Shizuoka maintain top-notch quality while increasing production?