At Prime Pour Spirits, we don’t just deal with liquor; we deal with the stories, heritage, and craftsmanship. Our passion for discovering exceptional spirits takes us far beyond trade shows and tasting rooms. We travel directly to the source: the distilleries hidden in the countryside of Japan, family-run operations in rural Poland, or the coastal cask houses where barrels breathe in sea air.
Visiting a distillery is about more than just sampling. It’s about shaking hands with the master distillers, seeing their process up close, and understanding the why behind every choice, from fermentation to barrel selection.
What Sets a Distillery Visit Apart?
When we visit a distillery, here’s what we look for and what makes all the difference when choosing what to bring back to our Canadian customers:
- Authenticity: Is it a brand rooted in tradition, or chasing trends? We value producers who stay true to their craft.
- Innovation: Some of the most exciting spirits we’ve found blend tradition with modern experimentation, a new twist on a centuries-old recipe.
- Passion: You can taste the difference when a distiller truly cares. Meeting them face-to-face lets us feel their pride and purpose.
- Potential: We’re constantly searching for undiscovered gems, exceptional products that haven’t yet made it to North America or Asia.
Our Promise to You
Whether you’re a retailer, restaurant, distributor, or connoisseur, we want to bring you more than just a product; we bring you a story behind every bottle. This means direct relationships, strict quality standards, and a commitment to sharing the best of the world’s distilleries with Canadian Markets. Ensuring both sides at the table are happy with all end results.
One Visit, A Thousand Stories
On our recent visit to Nagahama’s Roman Beer Company’s distillery, we were welcomed like family. The distiller walked us through the history, sharing bottles no longer available to the public, even giving us a taste of the unaged, not yet diluted product straight from the still. Enhancing our experience even further with a carefully picked meal from their restaurant to show us the culture and flavors that Nagahama has to offer.
These are the kinds of connections that shape what we offer you.
When you drink one of our imported selections, you’re not just sipping a spirit; you’re experiencing the people, the place, and the passion behind it.
Distillery Spotlight: Roman Beer Company – Redefining Japanese Craft Spirits
There’s something special about experiencing the distilling process of a spirit.
The subtle smells of oak and malt linger in the air, the copper still glistening under the soft lighting. Below, a line of sherry casks whispers stories of time, craftsmanship, tradition, and the hard work needed to create something delicate and full of history. All this is accompanied by a restaurant that fully accentuates the flavours and culture of Nagahama.
This wasn’t just a tour, but a story of the journey into the soul of Nagahama Roman Beer Company.
During our recent travels, we had the pleasure of visiting the Roman Beer Company, smaller in name than internationally known names such as Suntory. However, what we discovered is that what they lack in size, they make up for with a masterclass in innovation, precision, and bold experimentation.
One of the most fascinating aspects of their production process? They are experimenting with integrating classical music into their barrel-aging rooms. Through a process known as sonic aging, low-frequency vibrations from symphonic music are played continuously in one of the rooms of their aging facility. The theory is that these vibrations subtly move the liquid inside the barrels, increasing interaction between the spirit and the wood over time, potentially enhancing extraction and creating a more complex final product. It’s a beautiful intersection of art and science that speaks to Roman Beer Company’s boundary-pushing spirit.
Equally impressive is their approach to Umeshu, a traditional Japanese plum liqueur. While most Umeshu is made using shochu (a clear, neutral Japanese spirit), Roman Beer Company is taking a bold detour; they’re crafting their Umeshu using malt whisky as the base. The result is a remarkably rich, oaky expression of umeshu that retains the bright fruit character of the plum but gains depth, warmth, and body from the whisky. It’s a rare and luxurious twist on a classic, and a perfect example of how Roman Beer Company honours tradition while rewriting the rules.
As importers with a passion for authenticity and innovation, we’re excited to support and introduce producers like Roman Beer Company to new audiences. Their products don’t just taste unique; they carry the story of a producer willing to reimagine what Japanese spirits can be.
