Drinking Traditions of Kyoto: 6 Local Beverages That Define the City

Kyoto’s drinks reflect a basin city of cold winters, humid summers, and famously soft underground water. Breweries in the Fushimi district turn this softness into gentle, aromatic sake served across kaiseki restaurants, izakaya lanes, and traditional teahouse quarters.

Local agriculture shapes the glass: Uji’s tea fields inspire tea-inflected liqueurs, while seasonal fruit and spice traditions guide winter warmers and New Year rituals. Expect balance, restraint, and ceremony—flavors designed to complement Kyoto cuisine rather than dominate it.

Kyoto’s signature drink is nihonshu (sake) from Fushimi, where soft, iron-free groundwater yields an elegant, slightly tender profile. Ingredients are polished sake rice—often the local cultivar Iwai alongside Yamada Nishiki—plus koji (Aspergillus oryzae), yeast, and water. Brewers build a yeast starter (moto/shubo), then ferment the main mash (moromi) at low temperatures before pressing, filtering, and typically pasteurizing (hi-ire) once or twice. Styles range from junmai to ginjo/daiginjo, with some bottlings left undiluted (genshu). Expect aromas of steamed rice, melon, pear, or white flowers; palate textures are supple rather than hard-edged. Most Fushimi sake sits at 15–17% ABV, while genshu can reach 18–20%. Historically, Fushimi’s soft water helped distinguish Kyoto from harder-water regions; the result is sake that pairs seamlessly with seasonal kyo-ryori and kaiseki. Locals drink it chilled (reishu) with sashimi or lightly warmed (atsukan) in winter. Explore brewery tastings or the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum in Fushimi, then continue with small pours in Gion or Pontocho after dusk.

Nigori-zake is coarsely filtered sake that retains rice solids, giving a milky appearance and plush texture. It starts like other sake—polished rice, koji, yeast, and cold fermentation—but the final pressing uses wider mesh or limited filtration, allowing fine lees to remain. Some versions are lightly sparkling from residual fermentation. In the glass, expect lactic creaminess, hints of coconut or banana, and a soft sweetness balanced by gentle acidity; ABV typically runs 14–16%. Kyoto diners reach for chilled nigori with tofu dishes (yuba), grilled river fish, or tangy tsukemono, where texture and sweetness offset salt and umami. It appears at hanami picnics along the Kamogawa in spring and at casual izakaya where small plates keep arriving. Nigori’s rusticity carries historical echoes of pre-modern brewing when filtration was less exacting, yet today’s versions are deliberate and clean. In Kyoto, you’ll often find nigori offered alongside clearer junmai and ginjo, inviting side-by-side tasting that shows how filtration shapes body, aroma, and food pairing.

Umeshu is an iconic plum liqueur made by macerating unripe green ume with rock sugar in a neutral spirit or sake base. In Kyoto, many breweries craft umeshu using junmai sake for extra depth, and some blend in Uji tea for a distinctly local accent. The infusion draws out almond-like aromas (from benzaldehyde in ume pits), sweet-sour stone-fruit notes, and a silky palate; ABV varies widely from about 10–20% depending on base and dilution. Production typically runs for several months, with flavor harmonizing through slow extraction and maturation. You’ll encounter umeshu as an aperitif, on the rocks, or lengthened with soda (umeshu-soda) at izakaya in central Kyoto, and as a gentle end to kaiseki meals. Seasonal rhythm matters: home infusions start around the June ume harvest, and chilled glasses peak during humid summers, including evenings around the Gion Matsuri. The liqueur’s balance suits Kyoto’s restrained cuisine—light broths, seasonal vegetables, and grilled fish—adding fruit without overwhelming the dish.

Yuzushu is a bright liqueur built from fragrant yuzu—zest and juice—steeped in sake or shochu with sugar until the oils and acids fully integrate. Kyoto’s cooler hills nurture intensely aromatic yuzu, and local producers lean into this perfume: think candied peel, sudachi-like snap, and a pithy citrus bitterness that keeps sweetness in check. Typical strength is 8–14% ABV, lower when sake-based and higher with shochu. Production is careful to avoid excessive pith extraction, then rests so zest oils knit into the base. In winter, yuzushu’s sunny aroma lifts hearty dishes like kamo (duck) hotpot; in summer, it’s often served over ice or splashed with soda as a low-proof refresher. You’ll see it on drink lists across Kyoto—from neighborhood izakaya to modern kaiseki counters—where it bridges courses and cleanses the palate. The citrus tradition echoes long-standing medicinal and culinary uses of yuzu in Japan, translating mountain fragrance into the glass.

Kasu-zake is a traditional hot drink made by simmering sake kasu (pressed lees left after brewing) with water and sugar, sometimes enriched with a splash of fresh sake and a sliver of ginger. Because kasu contains residual alcohol, the finished drink is mildly alcoholic—often around 3–8% ABV depending on dilution and heat. The method recycles a core brewing byproduct prized in Kyoto kitchens for marinades and pickles, turning it into a cozy, creamy winter cup with sweet rice, vanilla, and faint koji aromas. Kasu-zake appears in the coldest months at home and around temple approaches where warm cups help visitors after evening illuminations. It pairs with wagashi or roasted chestnuts, and its gentle alcohol makes it suitable before dinner without dulling the palate. Historically, nothing was wasted in the brewery; kasu supported preservation, nutrition, and flavor through winter. Today, kasu-zake remains a Kyoto comfort—simple, frugal, and rooted in the same brewing cycle that defines Fushimi.

O-toso is spiced sake shared on New Year’s Day, a practice meant to drive away illness and invite good fortune for the year ahead. A small sachet of medicinal herbs (tososan)—often including cinnamon, sanshō (Japanese pepper), and clove—is soaked in sake (sometimes mirin) overnight, infusing warming spice into a familiar 14–16% ABV base. Kyoto families traditionally sip from shallow lacquer cups (sakazuki), moving in order from youngest to eldest, a ritualized hospitality mirrored in ryokan and some restaurants during the holiday. The aroma is gently resinous and sweet-spiced; the palate shows light bitterness that refreshes after osechi ryori. Historically imported from Chinese medicine, toso became standard in court and town households alike, with Kyoto’s ceremonial culture ensuring the custom endured. You’re most likely to encounter o-toso in private settings or holiday menus; outside New Year’s, related practices appear at kagami-biraki, when a sake barrel is opened for communal toasts at shrines or community events.