Japan’s first certified ‘master of Scotch’アンドスピリッツ株式会社の代表、黒田亜衣さん

蒸留酒のセレクトショップなどを運営するアンドスピリッツ株式会社の代表、黒田亜衣さん。世界的なウイスキーの教育機関「THE COUNCIL OF WHISKEY MASTERS」が毎年実施しているウイスキーの国際資格「MASTER OF SCOTCH」の試験に今年挑戦し、日本人で初めて合格した。

Ai Kuroda’s love affair with whisky began after the birth of her daughter. At night, with her baby tucked up in bed, she would enjoy a glass or two from her husband’s collection and quickly developed a taste for it. Inspired, she dreamed about one day running her own bar and liquor store. Two years ago, that idle dream became a reality.

“Having a baby is an amazing experience, but it’s also tough, so I appreciated being able to relax with some whisky at night,” recalls Kuroda. “I enjoyed it so much, I decided to work for the liquor firm Digital Sake Company when my daughter entered elementary school. My boss put me in charge of a bar and store called “&Spirits.” Six months later, I decided to buy it for myself.”

Located next to the famous Meguro River in Tokyo’s trendy Nakameguro district, &Spirits is a popular establishment featuring a shop stocked with a wide selection of rare spirits in the basement, and a small yet chic bar on the first floor. Last year, the company opened a second bar and store, Sake Collective & Spirits, in the basement of the Marunouchi Building near Tokyo Station.

“It’s a collaboration with the specialty bottle shop and bar Sake Collective, in England,” says Kuroda. “We sometimes invite guest bartenders and in the past even had one visit from a famous bar in London. It’s set up like the store in Nakameguro except it’s on one floor, the bar is standing only and, in addition to the spirits, there’s some sake and craft beers as well. Both places also sell U.K. liquor, for which I’m an official importer.”

Kuroda acquired her import license in September 2022. Dealing with British companies, the most difficult thing early on, she says, was drawing up the contracts. She enjoys negotiating in a foreign language and feels everyone is friendly, but admits she’s had to learn how to speak more frankly during discussions, as that’s the way business is conducted. It’s been a good learning experience for her.

Growing up, Kuroda wasn’t particularly interested in English until a teacher suggested she take part in a speech contest while in junior high school. It proved a wise choice as she took the first prize in her hometown of Fujinomiya and followed that up by finishing third in the Shizuoka Prefecture competition. She then enrolled at a high school with a study abroad program and spent one year in Edmonton, Canada.

“I still couldn’t speak English that well then and was usually pushing the pronunciation button on my electronic dictionary when I wanted to say something,” remembers Kuroda. “I was always busy with cheerleading and hip-hop dancing, so my parents were worried about my main reason for being there. My English level did improve a lot, though, and I had an amazing time, particularly when I was engaging in nature activities with my host family.”

Returning to Japan, Kuroda studied English and American literature at Keio University, citing “the national poet of Scotland,” Robert Burns, as her favorite writer. After graduating, she began working in the fashion industry. In charge of public relations for the select shop Loveless, she had the opportunity to fly out to the U.S. for New York Fashion Week, where she got to see the newest trends.

More than a decade on, Kuroda’s main passion is alcohol rather than fashion. While she’s knowledgeable about all kinds of liquors, she’s particularly enthusiastic when it comes to whisky. Earlier this year, Kuroda became the first Japanese to be certified with the “master of Scotch” qualification. Having passed the first two levels online, she flew out to the Isle of Raasay in Scotland to take the master’s exam. The location alternates between Scotland and the United States.

“It’s a tough exam,” admits Kuroda. “It begins with a blind taste test of eight different kinds of Scotch followed by a 90-minute discussion. There’s then a written exam covering six topics. That’s followed by an oral test, which is the hardest part as they can ask you about anything, and you don’t have time to prepare. Some people fail, so I was so relieved to pass. I cried a lot when I received the result.”

Looking ahead, Kuroda’s future aim is to obtain a production license so she can establish her own whisky distillery in Japan. Judging by how her career has gone so far, it would be surprising if she didn’t achieve her goal. (Matthew Hernon)

Words to live by