About this tour
When Mia from our team tried CHOYA's Ume Liqueur Experience in Kyoto, we found ourselves in a compact workshop crafting our own bottle of umeshu or ume syrup — a Japanese tradition spanning over a thousand years. The one-hour session, led by an English-speaking concierge from the world's largest umeshu maker, walks you through tasting different ume varieties and sugars, then blending your own custom bottle to take home. It's less about boozy indulgence and more about a tangible, kit-based craft that fits neatly into a morning or afternoon, and your creation actually matures into something drinkable (umeshu in a month, syrup in a week).
Highlights
- Guided tasting of different ume and sugar pairings before you blend
- Pre-measured kit removes guesswork — anyone can pull off a decent bottle
- Your finished bottle packs safely for checked luggage with leak-proof cap
- Learn ume's thousand-year role in Japanese culture from CHOYA staff
- Snap photos throughout; your creation becomes a working souvenir
- Umeshu matures in one month, syrup ready in a week back home
- Wheelchair accessible venue with public transport nearby
What to expect
You'll arrive at a compact workshop space in Kyoto and spend roughly an hour with a CHOYA concierge. After a quick intro to ume history and the brand's heritage, the real action begins: a side-by-side tasting where you sample two or three ume varieties and different sugars to nail down your flavour preference. Then comes the hands-on bit — the kit does the heavy lifting (pre-measured bottles, ingredients, instructions), so you're basically combining your chosen ume and sugar into a bottle, sealing it with a leak-proof cap, and watching it get boxed up for travel. There's no waiting around; the whole process is straightforward and photo-friendly.
Mia found the tasting genuinely useful — umeshu can taste quite different depending on which ume and sugar you pick, so that moment of experimentation felt worthwhile rather than rushed. The workshop isn't packed with crowds; you're working alongside a handful of other visitors, so it feels intimate without feeling exclusive. The only catch is timing: sessions start on the dot, so late arrivals might miss chunks of the experience.
What travellers say
- Tasting component genuinely helps you pick a flavour you'll actually enjoy
- Pre-measured kit means zero stress; focus on the craft, not the logistics
- Finished bottle genuinely matures into something drinkable at home
- Accessible venue; wheelchair and pram friendly with nearby public transport
- Concierge shares real ume and CHOYA history, not just sales patter
- Travel-safe packing; silicone cap and durable box pass airline checks
- One hour is tight; feels more craft session than cultural deep-dive
- Umeshu age-gated; families with younger teens can't all participate together
- Sessions start promptly; late arrivals lose content or get turned away
- You handle storage and shipping yourself post-workshop
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This is a proper hands-on souvenir — your bottle is real and drinkable, not a trinket. If you love Japanese food culture or want to understand ume's place in it, the tasting and concierge chat deliver that. The kit design means even people with zero craft experience walk out with something they've actually made. It's wheelchair accessible and pram-friendly, and the venue sits near public transport. You can buy extra bottles on the day if you want to make multiple flavours.
The workshop is only an hour, so if you're hoping for a deep dive into fermentation science, you'll be disappointed — it's more 'taste and blend' than chemistry class. Umeshu is alcohol (20+ only), so families with teenagers or younger kids will need to split up. The box can't be opened mid-journey (silicone cap stays on), so you're committing to transport it sealed. Storage and shipping post-workshop are on you — CHOYA isn't holding your bottles. Punctuality matters; late arrivals lose time or content.
Bring nothing special; the kit is all-inclusive. Wear clothes you don't mind getting sticky. Book umeshu and ume syrup separately if you want both. Budget extra if you want a second bottle ($). Sessions run regularly; book ahead but check cancellation terms (managed via email link). Public transport access is solid.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original Global Hobo summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.