The Perfect Blend

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About The Perfect Blend

December, 1918. The First World War had Just ended.The Japanese businessman Masataka Taketsuru travelled to Elgin, Scotland.A trained chemist, Taketsuru planned to learn the art of Scottish whisky, practice the craft, and bring the secret back to the Japanese market.But he had not planned on falling in love.In a small ceremony on the outside of Glasgow, Taketsuru found his perfect match in Rita Cowan.'A Perfect Blend' is their story.Returning to Japan with his new wife, Taketsuru embarked on creating the first traditional Japanese whisky company. But both his marriage and his business would face challenges. How would Rita settle into a society notably resistant to foreigners? In a culture of arranged marriages, her arrival Osaka would be met with opposition.And for Taketsuru, how would Shiro Fuda Suntory survive the economic repercussions of a second war?'The Perfect Blend' mixes personal, economic and social history to bring a sparkling narrative of the origins of Japanese whisky. It is the story of the whisky King, his Scotch wife and their love which overcame national boundaries.'A brilliantly told story of love, culture...and whisky.' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'. Originally published as 'Japanese Whisky, Scotch Blend: Masataka Taketsuru, The Japanese Whisky King and Rita, his Scotch Wife'.Olive Checkland has taught social history at the universities of Edinburgh and Liverpool, and for two colleges in Cambridge. She has been visiting professor at Keio University, Tokyo, and is fellow (overseas) of the Fukuzawa Memorial Centre, Keio University.