Shochu (焼酎) in Japan and its recommendation for beginners

What is Shochu (焼酎)?

• Are Shochu and Sake different?

Yes. Shochu (焼酎) is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from rice, wheat, potatoes or sugar.
You can drink Shochu (焼酎) on the rocks, and many shochu cocktails have recently become popular.
You can enjoy Shochu (焼酎) mixed with fresh fruit juices such as lemon and grapefruit, or even mixed with green tea or oolong tea.

Most restaurants and pub have Shochu on the menu.
There is a variety of atmosphere and food depending on the pub and restaurant, but there is standard and familiar shochu in the tavern.

Therefore, this time, we will introduce the features of shochu.

Kuro Kirishima (黒霧島)

(from Homepage)

“Kurokirijima” is one of the most famous shochu made by Kirishima Shuzo.

The taste of “Kuro Kirishima” is more refreshing, and you can enjoy the taste and smell of potato.
The raw material of the Shochu is sweet potato, and it has a soft mouthfeel that is easy to drink for women.

Iichiko (いいちこ）

(from Homepage)

Iichiko (いいちこ) is the liquor made from wheat.
This is a shochu that made the trigger for shochu boom in Japan.
Interestingly, this shochu has the catchphrase called “Napoleon in downtown”.

When you try it, you will feel a clean taste and some sweetness.
Personally, I like “Iichiko” when I want to drink lightly.

Also, there are so many types of bottles for Iichiko.
You can also enjoy the art of the bottle while drinking it.

Satsuma Shiranami (さつま白波)

Satsuma Shiranami is a sweet potato shochu made in Kagoshima Prefecture, where shochu is flourishing.
This shochu is made in a famous shochu producing company “Satsuma Shuzo”. This company has a long history of making shochu beginning in 1891.

Although mellow and rich tastes, it is a shochu that you can feel the sweetness in it.
The Koganesengan, which is a suitable potato for shochu, is used as a raw material to make Satsuma Shiranami.
You can also enjoy the rich taste of the potato.

Let’s Enjoy Shochu in Japan

Has any shochu that you want to drink appeared?

The Shochu cited above is an extremely famous and popular in Japan, recognized as standard products in Japan.
I think there should be reasons to be loved by so many people.

If you have never drunken Shochu, please try it and find out why it is loved.