Umeshu Soda

Umeshu grew out of the long Japanese habit of preserving ume plums, a fruit too sour to eat raw, by steeping them in alcohol with sugar until their flavor and color seep out. Wakayama, Japan's leading ume-growing region, is still the heartland of the best bottled umeshu, though home cooks across the country have long made their own each early summer.

Served simply over ice with soda, it became a staple of izakaya menus as a lighter alternative to beer or sake, enjoyed by people who want something sweet, fragrant and easy to drink.