milk sake

Tokugawa Mitsukini(1628-1701) was a feudal lord in the Mito domain who was known for his influence in politics of his era. He compliled a huge collection of the "Dai Nihon Shi" (history of great Japan) , which helped to raise nationalism in the late shogunate.
He was the first person in the Japanese history who has tried milk, wine, Chinese noodle, gyoza dumplings, cheese, beef, lamb and pork... when people were not allowed to eat meat due to religion reason.
Also he had 2 coloured people in the house to research them and later he even gave them title as part of his family. He was also into the making of Udon noodle by himself.
He loved sake. He used to drink milk sake.
Milk sake is a sake that is mixed with water, milk and sugar, and he drunk it warm.
I've tried this sake a number of times before I go to bed. Actually it's not so bad, and he died at 73 years old, when the average life span of Japanese people was 33 years old.
So it must be good.

水戸黄門でおなじみの徳川光圀は、江戸時代の常陸国水戸藩の第2藩主です。大日本史と言う歴史書も手がけ、文化財の保護活動などの文化事業を行い、後の幕府に大きな影響をもたらしました。
意外にも、好奇心旺盛な徳川光圀。
牛乳、ワイン、ラーメンを始め、餃子、チーズ、そして当時食する事が認められていなかった牛肉、羊、豚肉等は日本の歴史上、彼が初めて食べたものです。その上、探索のため2人の黒人を雇い、仕舞いにはそのまま譜代の家人にしているというから驚きです。自分でうどんをうつのも好きだったという、藩主としては、かなりはちゃめちゃな感じもします。
そんな徳川光圀が愛したのが牛乳酒。
酒に水、牛乳、当時貴重であっただろう砂糖を加えたもので、暖めて頂いたそうです。
実は私、昔、寝る前に良く飲んでいたのですが、これ、意外とイケルのです。
当時の平均寿命が33歳という中で、73歳で没したというから、これは長寿の秘訣かもしれません。