Oka Japanese Bermutto Sake Sweet Vermouth

Oka Kura (Tsutsumi Distillery, Kumamoto Prefecture) introduces Bermutto as a Japanese reinterpretation of vermouth — but built on a Junmai sake base rather than grape wine. It’s fortified with rice shochu and aromatized with native botanicals: yuzu, kabosu (a high-acid citrus), sansho peppercorn, yomogi (Japanese mugwort / wormwood family), and in the sweet version, ume (green Japanese plum). The sweet variant is sweetened with kokuto, Okinawan raw cane sugar, giving depth and subtle smoky nuance. Because it’s not made from grapes, it can’t legally be called “vermouth” under some jurisdictions — hence the coined term Bermutto.

Tasting Notes
The aroma offers stewed cherry, orange peel, and brown sugar tones, layered over yeasty rice and citrus zest. On the palate, citrus (kabosu, yuzu) and mugwort interplay over a base of rice / sake character, with plum sweetness (ume) and gentle spice from sansho. The finish lingers on mellow plum, citrus peel, and a faint rice-yeast echo.

Serving Suggestion
Use it neat and well chilled or over a large ice cube to appreciate its fusion of rice and botanicals. It makes an intriguing substitute for sweet vermouth in cocktails (e.g. a Bermutto Manhattan) or can be lengthened with soda or tonic to accent its citrus and umami nature.