There are a lot of different types of alcohol in the world. They go well beyond beer, wine, and well-known spirits like whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, and tequila. But just because you haven’t heard of something (or don’t know anything about it) or don’t know what it is, it doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time.
You might think of Japanese whisky or sake when it comes to Japanese alcoholic beverages, but there’s another form of alcohol that’s quite popular in Japan (and beyond). We’re talking about shochu.
While it’s tough to beat the appeal of whisky, shochu is even more popular than the much more well-known sake. As of 2020, shochu made up 15.4% of the total alcohol sales in Japan. That being said, let’s take a few moments to get to know this unique historical spirit.
What is shochu, and how is it made?
In the simplest terms, shochu is a distilled Japanese beverage made from a variety of ingredients, including rice, barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and more. But it’s so much more complex than that. There are a few important steps in the Shochu-making process that you should know. They are saccharification, fermentation, and distillation.
Saccharification
The first is saccharification. In this step, a koji mold (called Aspergillus oryzae) is also used to make soy sauce and sake, and of course, shochu is used to saccharify (or to make into sugar) whatever the base ingredient is.
Fermentation
The second step is fermentation. In this step, the koji is blended with water and yeast. This step takes a few weeks to complete. This creates a mash that is referred to as moromi. There are two steps in the fermentation process. The first moromi and the second moromi.
The first portion is comprised of a small percentage of the ingredients. This is a way to jumpstart fermentation and halt any possible contamination. This is the starter mash. Most of the yeast is cultivated in this first fermentation. The second moromi is the main fermentation. The base ingredient is steamed and mixed with the first moromi before fermenting.
Distillation
When it comes to making spirits, fermentation is important. But who would want to drink a funky, high-ABV fermented drink when you can have one that’s distilled (if it’s sake you would)? That’s why distillation is so important. After fermentation, the mash is distilled to make shochu. Depending on the distillery it might be made in a column or pot still.
What is shochu’s history?
You might be new to this spirit, but It’s been around for almost 500 years. Its origins can be traced to southern Japan. The first reference was from an essay by a Portuguese man named Jorge Alvarez. In 1540, he wrote about people drinking a rice-based drink in the Yamagawa in the Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan. The first time the word “shochu” was written was in 1559 in a complaint by a carpenter about his employer. It’s safe to say it’s been around for quite a while.
What does shochu taste like?
There’s no set flavor of shochu as it’s dependent on the ingredients used to produce it. Barley-based shochu is known for its nutty, sweet, barley-like flavor and aroma. Rice-based shochu is known for its sweet, fruity, rice-like flavor and aroma. Brown sugar-based shochu is known for its sugary, sweet flavor and aroma. Buckwheat-based shochu is known for its smooth, sweet, floral flavor and aroma. Traditional sweet potato-based shochu has aromas and flavors similar to the sweet potato itself, as well as tropical fruits and floral notes.
Shochu vs sake
While the two alcoholic beverages are very similar, there are a few things that separate the two. For one thing, sake is only made from rice while shochu can be made from rice as well as multiple other ingredients. Sake is a fermented alcohol, and shochu is a distilled alcohol. Being a distilled spirit, shochu is also much higher in alcohol than its sake counterpart.
How to drink shochu
There are many different ways to drink shochu. The most traditional way to imbibe it is mixed with cold or hot water. You can add it to a glass filled with ice, top with water, stir, and enjoy. You can also pour hot water into a glass or mug, add shochu, gently stir, and drink. You can also drink it neat or on the rocks. It’s really up to you. Try it in different ways and see which one you prefer.
Bottom line
Shochu might be new to you. But if you enjoy trying new things, give shochu a chance. Make this the summer of trying new things. You just might find your new favorite spirit. If not, you can at least tell people you’ve tried shochu if it ever comes up in conversation.
