How a Soap Opera Led to a Japanese Whisky Shortage
Companies, agencies, institutions, etc
the University of Glasgow
Scotch distilleries
Massan
Suntory
Yamazaki Single Malt
Settsu Shuzo
Taketsuru—
Kotobukiya
Shirofuda
Nikka
Dai Nippon Kaju—
Flipboard
FORTUNE
All Rights Reserved
Offers
Interactive Data
Mutual Fund
Morningstar, Inc.
Dow Jones
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.
Interactive Data Managed Solutions
| EU Data Subject
People
Masataka Taketsuru
Rita Cowan
Jim Murray’s
Yoichi
company”—to
Nikka
Nikka Whisky
Coffey
Miyagikyo
Groups
Japanese
Scottish
Nikka
Shiraz
Physical locations
Nikka
Places
No matching tags
Locations
Japan
Scotland
Taketsuru
Hokkaido
Miyagikyo
Australia
Events
World War I.
Summary
While there, he studied at the University of Glasgow, became an apprentice at a number of Scotch distilleries, and met a girl.When Taketsuru returned to Japan in 1920, he not only came with the first instructions in Japanese on how to make whisky, he also brought back a Scottish woman named Rita Cowan, who was now his wife.The two had married just a few months earlier in Scotland, despite strong opposition from both their families. While we’re likely still a few years away from seeing another 17-year Japanese whisky, distilleries have been ramping up production to help meet the new increased demand.At the center of it all is Nikka, a whisky that Taketsuru launched after his return to Japan from Scotland. In 1929, the first Japanese whisky, Shirofuda, was released.When his contract with the company ended, his wife, Rita, encouraged him to open his own distillery.
As said here by Emily Price