Kisaichi, Sweet Koji, Apple and Black Vinegar, 500ml
Brown rice black vinegar with apple, made to be diluted. A sweet and sour drink base from a vinegar brewer.
This is Kisaichi's black vinegar drink (黒酢ドリンク) in concentrate form (濃縮タイプ). The label says it is made with pure brown rice black vinegar (純玄米黒酢) by a traditional method, sweetened with a honey and oligosaccharide blend and flavoured with apple. Dilute one part to four parts water, which the label gives as 29% fruit juice once diluted. 500ml glass bottle.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Ready balanced: the sweetness and sourness are set, so every glass tastes the same.
- Long yield: a 500ml bottle makes about 2.5 litres at the label's 1 to 4 dilution.
- Low effort: no syrup to make, no fruit to prep, just dilute and pour.
- A brewer's vinegar: made by Kisaichi, a vinegar maker, around real black vinegar.
How to Use
- Long drink: one part to four parts cold still or sparkling water, over ice.
- Hot drink: dilute with hot water on a cold day.
- Soft drinks list: a sweet and sour alcohol-free option alongside tea.
- Kitchen use: a splash in a dressing or glaze where you want gentle sweet and sour.
Kurozu (黒酢) means black vinegar. In Japan it is a rice vinegar fermented and aged until it turns a deep amber brown, softer and rounder than clear rice vinegar. Genmai (玄米) is brown rice, the whole grain with only the husk removed, and jun genmai kurozu (純玄米黒酢) means the vinegar is made from brown rice alone. Drinking vinegar, diluted with water, is a long-established habit in Japan, and supermarkets carry a whole shelf of ready-sweetened vinegar drinks. This is that idea from a vinegar brewer, built on black vinegar rather than clear.
Learn more: What is Japanese Black Vinegar?
More from black vinegar and Kisaichi: Yokoi 3-year aged black vinegar and Kisaichi ginjo rice vinegar.
What does black vinegar drink taste like?
Sweet first, then a soft, rounded sourness, with apple across the middle. Diluted, it tastes like a sharp apple juice drink with more depth: black vinegar has a mellow, slightly malty edge that clear vinegar lacks, so the sourness is warm rather than sharp. The honey adds body and a gentle finish. Neat, it is far too strong; at one to four it is balanced and refreshing, and you can go weaker if you prefer.
Product Details
| Type | Kurozu dorinku 黒酢ドリンク (black vinegar drink), concentrate |
| Brand | Kisaichi (私市醸造) |
| Key Feature | Made with pure brown rice black vinegar (純玄米黒酢) |
| Origin | Japan |
| Volume and Format | 500ml glass bottle, concentrate |
| Best Used As | A drink base, diluted one part to four parts water |
How do I dilute black vinegar drink?
The label gives five times dilution: one part concentrate to four parts water, so 40ml makes a 200ml glass. Use cold still or sparkling water over ice in summer, or hot water in winter. Taste and adjust; some people prefer it weaker. Stir well, as the concentrate is denser than water and sinks to the bottom of the glass.
Is this the same as black vinegar for cooking?
No. Cooking black vinegar, such as plain kurozu, is unsweetened and much sharper, and it is used as a seasoning. This is a sweetened drink concentrate made with black vinegar, honey and apple, designed to be diluted and drunk. You can use a little in a dressing or a glaze, but for seasoning food, a plain black vinegar is the right bottle.
How should I store it after opening?
Close the cap tightly and keep it in the fridge once opened, and use it within the date on the pack. Before opening, a cool, dark cupboard is fine. Some natural sediment can settle over time with vinegar products; give the bottle a gentle shake before pouring.
SKU : S0077