JAPAN RAIL CAFE ties up with Japanese liquor purveyor Isego Honten for a specially-curated, 300-label strong liquor retail selection on its premises.
We know JAPAN RAIL CAFE as a one-stop service counter for many things travel-related within Japan, as well as home to one of the better lunch options when it comes to Japanese food within the Tanjong Pagar area. But did you know it is now houses one of Singapore’s largest collection of Japanese liquors – and particularly sake – available for retail?
JAPAN RAIL CAFE recently collaborated with established Japanese liquor and spirits company Isego Honten to convert one area of the cafe at Guoco Tower into a retail section, offering over 300 Japanese sakes and spirits to the public.
For those not familiar with Isego Honten, this Tokyo-based reputable sake and spirits retailer has been in the business for over 300 years. Its history dates back all the way to Japan’s Edo period, when they first started by supplying sake to nearby temples for religious ceremonies. Over those many years the retail chain fostered close relationships with hundreds of breweries all across Japan, allowing them to access to some of the more exclusive products that can be hard to find even in Japan.
And that’s what the new JAPAN RAIL CAFE Isego Honten retail section offers. With such a large selection it’s near impossible to name drop the breweries they represent. But during my visit there were bottles from Saga Prefecture’s Koueigiku, Miyaizumi from Fukushima, and Ibaraki’s Morishima. There were bottles exclusive to Isego Honten too; there was an excellent Shishinosato Junmai Ginjo Koji Oryzae from Ishikawa-based Matsuura, as well the deeply complex Yukinobijin Junmai Daiginjo from Akita Prefecture’s Akita Jyozo.
I even spotted a couple of limited-edition bottles from Kochi Prefecture’s wildly popular cult brewery Suigei, including one I meticulously hand carried home from my visit to Tosa some years ago.
There’s a wide repertoire of Japanese shochu and other liquors as well.
For those worried about quality, don’t be. Products are fully cold-chained in transit to maintain product quality, which means each bottle arrives in Singapore in optimal condition. Certified sake sommeliers are also on hand for advice, with samplings available – you can purchase tickets (S$10+ for six) to try as many sakes as you want – to help guide your purchases.
Even better, corkage is complimentary. Which means you can purchase sake or shochu at retail price, and hop over to the dining area to enjoy your bottle with some food.
If you’re a sake lover, a visit to JAPAN RAIL CAFE – and particularly the Isego Honten retail section – is in order.
JAPAN RAIL CAFE
Address 5 Wallich St, #01-20 Guoco Tower, Singapore 078883 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11am to 9pm Mondays to Thursdays; 11am to 9.30pm Fridays and Saturdays; 11am to 8pm on Sundays
Tel (65) 6385 5422
Web www.japanrailcafe.com.sg
Instagram @japanrailcafe
Facebook JAPANRAILCAFE
Follow us on Telegram to get updated on events and other spirited announcements!
