Japan Business Seeks Applicants to Age Alcohol Submerged Underwater

27 Mar, 2024

Japan Business Seeks Applicants to Age Alcohol Submerged Underwater

A business situated in Hokkaido, Japan, is extending its unique ocean-ageing services to the public, providing individuals with the opportunity to witness the maturation process of their alcohol through their smartphones. Hokkaido Kaiyo Matsuri, located in Japan's northernmost region, is currently accepting applications from members of the public interested in ageing their alcoholic beverages on the seabed.

Applications for this distinctive service opened on March 20 and will continue until April 19 for those wishing to submerge their drinks off the shores of Hokkaido. From June 30, 2024, to June 29, 2025, bottles will be gently lowered into the sea.

While the service comes with a price tag of ¥105,600 (£551) per storage cage, it encompasses the costs of submerging, monitoring, maintenance, wax sealing, and insurance. Each case can accommodate 12 bottles, which need not all be the same type of liquor. Participants are free to age any combination of whisky, gin, rum, Tequila, shochu, sake, wine, sparkling wine, Champagne, or liqueurs. However, bottles must be of a shape similar to that of a standard bottle of sake or wine.

Initially targeted at sake breweries and businesses, including restaurants, seeking innovative wine ageing methods, the service has now been opened up to the public. Additionally, Hokkaido Kaiyo Matsuri offers a monitoring service, featuring a solar-powered camera continuously pointed at the cellar, granting participants 24-hour access to view their sea-ageing cases.

Surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean, Hokkaido provides an ideal environment for deep water ageing, mimicking the conditions of a natural cellar. This method enhances the resulting flavors, colors, and aromatics of the aged beverages. With deep-sea ageing gaining momentum in Japan, a Tokyo-based PR firm recently initiated a similar seafloor wine ageing project in Kagoshima Prefecture to stimulate the local economy.