In ,
D. Lutjen typed:

"Ken Blake" wrote in message
...

We have a new Japanese restaurant that recently opened near
us.
They serve something they call "box sake." Instead of the
usual
small decanter, they pour into a an open-topped wooden box,
about
three inches square, from which you then drink. The sake is
supposedly enhanced by the taste of the wood.

Has anyone ever seen this before?

Often in Japan. Rarely in the U.S.


Thanks very much. I've been in Japan only once, about 20 years
ago. I don't remember seeing it there, but it's certainly
possible that I did and didn't really what was in the boxes.


Did this place make this up, or
is it common elsewhere and I just didn't know of it?

It is common in certain settings in Japan such as receptions or
ceremonies . . . the "cup" will often be printed with
information
about the event. One I hung onto was from when AEA opened
their
Tokyo office in the mid-1980s. I have never these cups in
general
use in a neighborhood izakaya, for example. Get a bit of a buzz
on
and they are tough to use unless you don't mind spilling sake
all
over.


I tried it. Even without the buzz, it was difficult to use. And
the thick rim makes it uncomfortable to drink from. But it tasted
good.

--
Ken Blake
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