Salon de Shimaji, Katsuhiko Shimaji's Quote of the Week
2015.05.20 update

Rules for drinking with water

There are several rules at Salon de Shimaji.
One example is the rules for serving alcohol.
That means "no rock or straight drinks."

This is at Mr. Shimaji's request.
There is a fact that a literary giant whom Mr. Shimaji was close to drank his liquor on the rocks or straight and later died of esophageal cancer.
At Salon de Shimaji, we serve whiskey and water to our customers because we want them to live long lives.

There are other reasons as well.
That means that most of the malt whiskies available at Salon de Shimaji are Scotch from Scotland.
According to Mr. Shimaji,
"People in Scotland never drink it straight or on the rocks! They always dilute it with water!"
To truly appreciate the flavor of alcohol with an alcohol content of 40% or higher, you need to dilute it with water; otherwise, you won't get to experience its true taste.
"That's what the distillery's blender said."

Scotch, whose true flavor can be enjoyed by diluting it with water...it's truly fascinating.

This week's quote: "A high-quality single malt becomes an even higher-quality single malt when water is added."

Photography: Yoshio Uehara

This week's recommended drink is Scapa 16 Year Old.
The sweet and gentle aroma, reminiscent of honey and vanilla, becomes even more pronounced when water is added, so we recommend drinking it diluted with water.


The "Rules for Whiskey and Water" reflect Mr. Shimaji's meticulous attention to detail and his consideration for his customers.


Profile - Katsuhiko Shimaji


Producer of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . Born in 1941. After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University, he joined Shueisha. He was assigned to "Weekly Playboy" and became its editor-in-chief in 1983, where he created a sensation with the "Life Advice" column featuring Renzo Shibata, Toko Kon, and Ken Kaiko as respondents, growing the magazine into a million-copy publication. He later served as editor-in-chief of "PLAYBOY Japan" and "BART." After serving as representative director of Shueisha International, he retired in 2008. He is currently working as a writer and essayist.

 Click here for the store visit schedule.
Click here for the Salon de Shimaji online store.

Popular Products