Growing up in the tropics, I didn’t experience a wintry Christmas until my first year of university in London. I spent Christmas Eve at a house party, the details of which have long since blurred — in retrospect, the person who invited me might’ve been trying to convert me to his church — but I still remember the fug of spices wafting through the rooms, the taste of hot mulled wine a reprieve from the cold and damp outside.
Since then, I’ve come to associate Christmas with the scent of that drink. With the end of 2020 upon us, I toyed with the idea of making a citrus- and spice-infused sake equivalent for this part of the world. But as it transpires, Japan already has its own version: otoso, an herb-infused brew spiritually akin to mulled wine.
Up to a dozen ingredients comprise the tososan, the blend of herbs and spices which gives the drink its name. The herbs used vary by recipe and maker, but are typically chosen for their medicinal benefits. Examples include cassia bark, Chinese bellflower, sanshō pepper, cinnamon and dried mandarin peel.