Spirits have a traditional role in Japanese culture, with the most well-known Japanese spirit being Sake. Although ‘sake’ is the generic Japanese term for alcohol, it usually refers to Japanese rice wine or ‘nihonshu’. Sake can be enjoyed hot or cold. Another popular Japanese spirit export is of course Midori, a bright green melon liqueur. Midori was original launch party was held in New York’s legendary Studio 54. Japan's reputation for Japanese whisky has also been on the rise since the 2000s. Some are up there with Scotland's finest.