Gold leaf company introduces festive sparkling beverage
![JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI
Kinpaku Kotobuki Cider sparkles with pieces of gold leaf.](https://staradvertiser.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/web1_202401040-japan-drink-29b2e5f2-984f-11ee-84b5-ce045d0d60de.jpg)
JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI
Kinpaku Kotobuki Cider sparkles with pieces of gold leaf.
KANAZAWA >> A soda drink containing pieces of “entsuke” gold leaf — which is made using a technique registered on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list — has been put on sale by Hakuza Inc., a gold leaf manufacturer and retailer in Kanazawa.
Kinpaku Kotobuki Cider (“kinpaku” means gold leaf in Japanese) is intended to be consumed at banquets and purchased for use as a gift. It is suitable for everyone, ranging from kids to adults who do not drink alcohol.
The product, which comes in a 250-milliliter bottle and costs 594 yen (about $4.20) is sold at the company’s stores, on e-commerce websites and at souvenir shops at JR Kanazawa Station.
In developing the drink, the company sought the cooperation of Suzuki Kosen, a long-established company that produces soft drinks and nonalcoholic beer in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture.
The soda looks especially good when poured into a glass as the shiny gold leaf pieces “dance” among the bubbles.
“I hope many people will enjoy the drink at festive occasions, including during toasts,” said a Hakuza employee official.