There is a question that everyone has heard at least once.
Questions about what you want to be when you grow up, and about future aspirations and dreams.
Most of the time, that question was actually asking about my profession. When I was young, I answered that I was a scientist.
I don't remember if it was an answer planted by someone or if I wanted it myself.
Even when I turned twenty, nothing had changed.
Even after listing the names of the jobs and looking at them, I didn't feel any desire to have them.
I chose the College of Engineering based on my grades. I calculated that it would be enough to make a living. It was a rational choice.
Around that time, I rethought the form of dreams.
It is not about a job, but about what kind of life I will lead in the future and in what situations I can feel joy and happiness.
As I narrowed it down like that, one scene remained.
Treating loved ones to warm food and a drink.
It was simple and specific, and it really touched my heart.
After recalling that scene, I became certain.
I realized that the day, which used to feel so harsh, is actually full of things to enjoy.
I poured my heart and soul into the food.
Eating delicious food, making it yourself, and sharing it. Following the path of food and cooking, I arrived at alcohol.
Alcohol involved many variables. Even with the same ingredients, completely different drinks resulted depending on temperature, timing, the hands, and small details.
I was interested in that subtle difference.
The diversity and cultural depth created by small variables were so captivating that I became convinced that even pouring my entire lifetime of affection into it would not be enough.
Fermentation is the act of capturing time. The temperature of this season, the state of the ingredients—these remain exactly as they are within the alcohol.
As I started making alcohol, the seasons caught my eye.
Fruits that grow only during this season, and ingredients available only in this region.
The concept of seasonality entered my senses and settled beside me.
I wanted to capture ingredients from all over the country and around the world in alcohol.
Things that grow only in this region, things that can only be found at this time of year. As I chased after them, my feet began to move.
I ended up traveling to find ingredients suitable for the season and the brewery that makes the liquor.
Some breweries were located in the mountains, while others were near the seaside.
I had to go there to realize that the air and water of that space permeated the alcohol.
The trip wasn't the goal; it just happened to turn into a trip as I followed the alcohol.
Alcohol is a beverage of aroma. It touches the nose before the mouth.
As I became interested in alcohol, I started studying aromas.
When I closed my eyes and focused only on my nose, things that usually just brushed past became clear.
I didn't have great talent, but I found enjoyment in creating scents that suited the time and scene. I liked the process of finding them.
In this way, my tastes expanded, centering around alcohol.
Spring strawberries have a clear and fresh scent.
When you take a bite of a summer peach, the juice flows down to your wrist.
In autumn, the firm, crisp sweetness of fresh apples, and in winter, the scent that spreads the moment you peel a yuzu.
I want to capture and share these moments. This is the background behind the birth of this blog.
John Keating said that poetry, romance, and beauty enrich life.
For me, I believe it is a warm evening, drinks and food, and conversation between people.