Drinking Vinegars

The craft behind Japanese drinking vinegar

Vinegar has been part of Japanese cuisine for more than a millennium. Rice vinegar was documented as early as the 8th century, originally used in court cooking and later in everyday food culture. Producers began refining fermentation techniques and ageing methods, transforming simple acidity into something nuanced and complex.

True brewed drinking vinegars begin with rice or fruit sugars. These are first fermented into alcohol, then gently converted into acetic acid by natural bacteria. In the case of aged black rice vinegar, the liquid is matured slowly – sometimes for years – in earthenware jars. This slow maturing darkens the colour and softens the edges, developing notes of caramel, grain, and the all-important umami beneath the acidity.

Along with the brewed styles there is also ume vinegar. Often labelled as plum vinegar, this is technically ume su, which is the ruby-toned liquid drawn out when Japanese ume fruit are cured with salt to make umeboshi. It isn’t produced through alcohol fermentation in the same way as rice vinegar. Instead, it’s a savoury, salty-sour pickling liquid with striking depth.

These traditions have shaped modern drinking vinegars, balancing fruit, fermentation and a gentle sweetness to create vinegar for drinking that is smooth, refined and refreshing.

A spectrum of flavour

Japanese vinegar drinks aren’t one-note sour. You can expect flavours that range from citrus-bright to deeply savoury, depending on the base ingredient and ageing process.

Yuzu drinking vinegar is aromatic, with clean citrus perfume and a fine, almost floral acidity. Plum vinegar offers sweet-tart fruit notes with a subtle salinity that lingers on the palate. And aged black rice vinegar brings a darker character – rounded, smooth and complex.

What connects them is a fine balance of sensations. The acidity feels polished, not aggressive. Sweetness supports rather than dominates. Whether you’re exploring ume vinegar for its savoury tang or a fruit-forward Japanese vinegar drink for its brightness, each style brings contrast and refreshment in equal measure.