Choose ingredients and make your own ume liqueur or non-alcoholic syrup to take home.
Why we chose it
A reason to go.
Tasting the fruit and sugars before choosing a combination makes the souvenir personal. The English-guided Sanjo program is a defined visitor workshop, so it is more useful than simply buying a bottle.
The experience
What you’ll do.
Compare ingredients, choose a combination and remove the fruit stems.
Layer ume and sugar in a bottle; add alcohol for umeshu, then pack it for transport.
A little context
More to take in.
The non-alcoholic syrup and liqueur are separate options. Choose the version you actually want to make, and plan how you will take the bottle home.
Our recommendation
Choose the right experience.
What to choose
Choose the one-hour CHOYA Kyoto Sanjo workshop: umeshu for adults who drink, ume syrup for a non-alcoholic version.
Who it suits
Couples, families choosing syrup, and travelers who enjoy edible souvenirs.
When to choose something else
Choose a sake tasting if you want to drink the finished result during the session or have no space for a bottle.
Water, brewing history and a guided tasting give Kyoto’s sake district a story that lasts longer than a souvenir bottle.
Plan the visit
The useful details.
Part of Kyoto
Sanjo / Nakagyo
Time to allow
1 hour
Listing price
Price to confirm
Booking platform
Viator
Check the current price with the provider; we do not have a sufficiently recent figure to compare. Original listing snapshot: 11 October 2026. Editorial review: 16 October 2026. Confirm the meeting point and current details before paying.
Before you choose
The practical part.
Syrup takes about a week and umeshu about a month to mature. The operator recommends keeping the transport cap and box and placing the bottle in checked luggage; check destination import rules. Book separate options if your party wants both syrup and liqueur. Umeshu-making is for ages 20 and above.
Choose your date and group on the provider’s listing to see the final total and availability.
Check exactly what is included, the meeting location and the return arrangements.
Read the cancellation and amendment terms for your chosen option. Keep your provider confirmation.
Sources & editorial note
Our recommendation is a source-based editorial judgment, not a report of a personal visit. Listing details may change.
Read the original Viator listing ↗ Kyoto Ume Liqueur Experience with CHOYA – Make Your Own Souvenir Original listing snapshot: 11 October 2026. Editorial review: 16 October 2026.
The museum explains how sake is made; comparing ten selections with food then connects that information to what you actually enjoy drinking. The take-home tasting notes are useful when ordering later.
Two trial blends make you decide which flavors work together rather than simply drink a flight. It is a compact introduction to modern sake blending, not a brewery-production class.
The practical value is entering small venues with someone who can order and explain what is available. This is particularly helpful for a solo traveler who would hesitate to walk into an unfamiliar izakaya.