Shochu

What is “Shochu”?

One of Japanese traditional distilled spirit. Shochu is made from rice, barley, or sweet potato, and the name is different. The shochu made from rice is called Kome Shochu, made from barley is called Mugi Shochu, and made from sweet potato is called Imo Shochu. Alcohol percentage of Shochu is around 20~25%.
Usually, shochu is mixed with sour, water, hot water, or straight like whiskey.

The meaning of Japanese characters [ Character / Sounds: meanings]

焼 / sho：roasted,distiled

酎 / chu：strong, high concentrated

How to make it ?

The procedure is quite similar to sake.

There are three types of rice malt to make shochu: black rice malt, white rice malt, and yellow rice malt. In the following passage, rice malt means these rice malt. Every shochu could be made from these rice malts. These rice malts affect the taste and flavor of shochu. Black rice malt makes it mellow and aromatic. White rice malt makes it light and clear. Yellow rice malt makes it fruity. it seems to be sake.

Kome Shochu is made from rice, rice malt, and water. Usually, rice is polished before making it. First of all, polished rice is washed and soaked in water to absorb water. Steaming the soaked rice and put rice malt on it. After that, mixing the rice with rice molt, water and yeast to brew. After the brewing, it is pressed to separate sake and sake cake. Then, it is distilled to make shochu.

Mugi Shochu is made from barley, rice malt, water. The procedure is almost same as Kome Shochu. The difference between them is only rice and barley.

Imo Shochu is made from sweet potato, rice, rice malt, and water. To make imo shochu, it’s necessary to use rice in addition to sweet potato.

How is the taste and flavor?

The impressive feature of shochu is the flavor. Kome Shochu has fruity and clear flavor. Mugi Shochu has light flavor. Imo Shochu has sweet and mellow flavor.