I can't handle alcohol very well, and I've always loved ginger ale, so ordering ginger ale has become my go-to whenever I'm eating out or at a bar.

For instance, whenever I spot words like "house-made ginger ale" or "craft ginger ale" on a drink menu — something you can only taste there — I order it without hesitation.

A dry craft ginger ale with plenty of ginger and spice really is the best, isn't it.

 

Now, I’m originally from Azumino City in Nagano Prefecture, and recently, at dinner during a visit home after a long while, a drink called "Matsumoto Ginger Ale" caught my eye on the menu.

That day, without giving it much thought, I ordered it reflexively as usual.

The drink arrived, and just before the first sip reached my mouth, the flavor of cardamom suddenly shot up through my nose.

Startled by a spice aroma sharp enough to jolt me awake, I took a sip.

The taste was so far removed from the ginger ale I'd imagined that it hit me like a shock.

 

I instinctively glanced back at the menu, where a brief description read: "Matsumoto Ginger Ale, Kusawake: A rich, refreshing aroma and flavor where herbs and spices come together in harmony."

 

This time, meaning to really pay attention to the flavor, I took a second sip.

"...Ginger ale...?"

No, no — this didn't fit into that category at all. It was something else entirely.

 

Cardamom on top, ginger and lemon at the heart, and vanilla adding depth as a base.

The beauty of how it opened up and its fresh taste made me want to call it something like "a perfume you drink."

It was a first for me.

 

 

Struck by just how surprising it was, I asked a staff member right then for more details about this drink, and learned it was a soda mixed with a botanical syrup called Kusawake, made in Matsumoto.

 

 

A few days later, unable to forget that taste, I searched for "Kusawake" as soon as I got home.

And there, on the site, I found

"a brand description that read: “Kusawake is a brand built around the concept of ‘drinking scent,’ combining a variety of spices and herbs. We make our drinks believing that the enjoyment of a beverage isn't about whether it contains alcohol, but about whether a rich fragrance is captured within the liquid.”"

— that was the brand's own description of itself.

 

"Whoa, they’re actually building this around the idea of a perfume you drink!!" I thought, surprised all over again, and immediately reached out to the maker while the excitement was still fresh.

I reached out with a request along the lines of, "I’d love for more people to discover this wonderful flavor — please let our shop carry Kusawake’s syrup too."

 

And the maker very kindly agreed, so we're now happy to begin selling Kusawake in our shop as well. 

This is the Kusawake botanical syrup we actually sell, in a 200mL mini bottle, priced at ¥1,702 (tax incl.).

 

Made only from natural ingredients with no additives, this aromatic drink is a new genre, different from both craft ginger ale and craft cola.

And while it’s called a "botanical syrup," it doesn’t have the feel of a sweet juice — its delicate flavor draws out the taste of its ingredients, making it a non-alcoholic drink that’s perfect company for adults spending a slow, quiet moment.

 

Enjoy it like a spirit: on the rocks, with soda or ginger ale, or mixed with gin, vodka, shochu and other drinks.

On cold days or before bed, I also recommend it hot to warm you up.

I hope you'll enjoy exploring whatever way of drinking it suits you best.

 

 

 

And as for the one that's both the product name and the brand name here, Kusawake — we also carry, as a second botanical syrup from Kusawake, a drink in a beautiful sunrise color called Hinata, in our shop as well. 

Hinata is characterized by the bold sweetness and sharp bite of cassia (Chinese cinnamon) and cinnamon, brought together crisply by the tartness of lemon.

 

To compare them simply: Kusawake is "fresh" and Hinata is "sweet".

Even calling it "sweet," of course it isn’t a heavy, cloying sweetness — its delicate flavor draws out the taste of the ingredients, and I think it’s just as perfect a companion for adults spending a slow, quiet moment.

 

As with Kusawake, you can enjoy it on the rocks, with soda, or mixed with alcohol — and mixing it with plum syrup or umeshu is recommended too.

I hope you'll feel free to experiment with this one as well.

 

Of course this is great for people who can't drink alcohol, like me, but I especially want perfume lovers to try it — and I think that's exactly the point of introducing this drink's appeal to everyone through Lounge Sai, the shop where I work with fragrance.

 

It's great to enjoy on your own or with family, of course, and since the flavor lets a wide range of people enjoy the scent while still being easy to drink, it's also proven very popular as a gift or something to bring along.

These new-sensation drinks, "Kusawake" and "Hinata" — please do give them a try.

 

"Without chasing novelty for its own sake, but genuinely,
gathering the roots, wood, and herbs (kusane-kihi) each
in their own meaning and bringing them into balance."

Kusawake