Wednesday, December 17, 2014

(703) Rita


She came to the spotlight with the morning drama series “Massan” (マッサン) but her story goes back to the early 20th century when she accompanied her husband Taketsuru Masataka (竹鶴 政孝, 1894-1979) from Scotland to Japan and supported his dream: to make the first Japanese whisky. Taketsuru was instrumental in creating the company that would later become Suntory and he was the founder of Nikka; in other words he was the man who taught Japan’s two main liquor makers how to make whisky in the way he was taught at the Highlands. Her name was Rita Cowan-Taketsuru (1896-1961) and to honor her (and thanks to the series’ popularity) Nikka has launched this highball (whisky and soda) named after her.

(For a bigger version of this picture both in color and black and white, check my "Japan Arekore" set on Flickr)

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