Read a Japanese label, taste with confidence, and buy well — whether you fly to Tokyo or shop down the street.

Japanese whisky has never been scarcer or more confusingly labelled, and craft beer has exploded into thousands of small breweries — a little literacy now saves you real money and real disappointment.

By the end

You will be able to decode a Japanese whisky or craft beer label, taste either one deliberately, and decide what is worth your money without relying on hype or a translator.

Who this is for

Adult drinkers who are curious about Japanese whisky and craft beer and want real knowledge rather than collector folklore, whether they will ever set foot in Japan or not.