在喝酒的場合裡，你會比較享受跟友人一同吆喝暢飲？抑或覺得在家獨酌才對味，會令你喝得更舒坦自在呢？最近看到這個由小兵製陶所製作的「SAKE SET」，包含一隻酒瓶、四隻酒杯，其造型白晢簡煉，是一套專門為獨酌時光而打造的器皿。
成立於1924年，來自岐阜縣的小兵製陶所，是日本國內「美濃燒」的標誌性工房。從早期只生產傳統的美濃清酒瓶，及後涉足各類日常食器；其製陶技術之精良，不僅在日本國內受到追捧，就連國外如Dior旗下的餐廳、法國凡爾賽宮也曾引入小兵製陶所的食器，風頭可謂一時無倆。
「SAKE SET」擁有四隻形狀各異的酒杯，以切換到不同的酌飲情景，其中長直型酒杯的窄口形狀，令酒液可以迅速隨喉嚨下滑，適合盛載輕淡的酒；碗型酒杯的杯口稍寬，能令酒液能大量流經舌頭中段，使口腔內的酒味繚繞不散；花蕊造形的酒杯，杯口寬度適宜小口小口地喝，宜於香氣濃厚的酒類；至於喇叭形的酒杯，則適合輕而香的酒類，杯口寬大令口鼻能同時感受香氣，最適宜享受酒體本身的清香。
Okura
香港中環善慶街1號地鋪
When it comes to drinking, do you prefer to drink to your heart’s content with your friends? Or would you rather drink without company at home so that you feel more at ease? Recently, I have stumbled upon this SAKE SET by KANEKO KOHYO Pottery. The set consists of a sake flask with four sake cups, which are clean and simplistic with a pale shade, and are specifically designed for the luxury of enjoying alcohol solo.
Established in 1924 and based in Gifu prefecture in Japan, KOHYO is the signature workshop of Mino pottery within Japan. Having started out producing only sake flasks of Mino ware, it later expanded into the realm of a variety of daily tableware. Thanks to its exquisite pottery craftsmanship, not only is it much sought after at home in Japan, even restaurants under Dior and Château de Versailles in France have made purchases from the workshop. It can be said that it has enjoyed unparalleled prestige.
The SAKE SET consists of four sake cups of different shapes for various drinking scenes. The straight and tall type has a narrow opening which allows the alcohol to quickly slide down the throat, and is thus suitable for alcohol with a light taste; the bowl-shaped cup, on the other hand, has a slightly wider opening, which lets a large amount of liquid flow through the middle part of the tongue so that the flavors of the alcohol will linger in the mouth; the one that is shaped like a pistil has an opening suited for drinking in small sips, and are thus best paired with alcohol with a strong aroma; as for the trumpet-shaped cup, it goes well with light and aromatic alcohol. Thanks to its wide opening, both the mouth and the nose can enjoy the aroma at the same time, and is thus best used for enjoying the fresh aroma of the alcohol itself.
Okura
G/F, 1 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong
