A route of transmission for shochu distilling technology

Continuous distillation(19th century)

Pot distillation̶the Ryukyu Kingdom (15th century)

Pot distillation̶Kyushu (15‒16th century)

　Shochu is a distilled alcoholic beverage unique to Japan. Unl ike sake, wine or beer, the shochu dist i l l ing method includes a distillation process like whisky distilling and gin distilling. There are two types of distillation methods: (1) one is tradit ional pot dist il lat ion (virtually dist il led once for a batch of shochu product) and (2) the other is cont inuous d ist i l lat ion invented in the 19th century. Based on th is d ifference in t he two d i s t i l lat ion processes , shochu i s classified as either pot dist i l lat ion shochu or cont inuous distillation shochu. Pot distillation shochu is spirits which is dist i l led fermenting mash (ingredients such as starch and sugar are saccharified by koji and concurrently fermented by yeast) using pot still. And it has an alcoholic content of 45% alcohol (v/v) or less. Most honkaku shochu (authentic shochu) and awamor i a re class ified as th i s categor y. S im i la r ly, continuous dist i l lat ion shochu is spir its which is dist i l led ferment ing mash us ing cont inuous s t i l l . And it has an alcoholic content of under 36% (v/v). Continuous distillation shochu is of ten enjoyed st ra ight or used as the base of cocktails such as a sour or a shochu highball (chu-hai) as well as used for making plum liqueur(umeshu).　Please deepen your knowledge on shochu and discover more delicious and pleasant way of drinking shochu.

History　The shochu dist il l ing techniques are considered to have a r r i ved i n t he Ry u k y u K i ngdom or p r e sen t Ok i nawa prefecture, Japan, from the Kingdom of Siam (or Thailand

today) through the route between Southeast Asia and China in around the 15th century. There are a number of theories as to how shochu was introduced to Kyushu island. Shochu is said to have arrived from Okinawa, Korea, China, or even Europe, but no definitive evidence supports any of these theories.　The o lde s t document on shochu was w r i t ten by t he Por tuguese Jorge A lvares in 1546 in h is repor t “Affairs Regarding Japan.” According to this report, rice shochu called “orraqua” was drunk in Yamagawa or currently Ibusuki-city in Kagoshima prefecture.　The oldest record of the word “shochu” was discovered on the wooden tag with the scr ibble that reads “shochu” was discovered at the Kor iyama Hachiman Shr ine in Isa-city, Kagoshima prefecture in 1559. This scribble complains “The head pr iest is so st ingy that he never serves us a cup of shochu ! Having such a stingy head priest is a great nuisance for us.” Around that time shochu seems to have been distilled in this area. After that, shochu dist i l l ing techniques were introduced into other area of Kyushu island.　Although the origin of shochu distilling dates back over 400 years, continuous distillation techniques are a relatively new one invented in the 19th century. Thus, the first domestically produced continuous distillation shochu made an appearance in Japan until around in 1900. Since then, the development of product ion techn iques su itable for br ing ing out for the fragrance of the different kind of ingredients, the discovery of excellent yeast, and the improvements in the continuous still equ ipments have a l l cont r ibuted to today ’s cont inuous distillation shochu.

1Shochu 1(Summary)

HistoryHow to distill shochuProduct informationHow to enjoy shochu

1268

The Story of Shochu

NRIB (National

Research Institute of Brewing)

March 2018

Featured article

Classification of shochu

Pot distillation shochu Rich flavor derived from ingredients

Continuous distillation shochu Slight flavor of alcohol

Shochu

01

How to distill shochuHo

Rotating drum: is a widely used machine in which washingof koji ingredients, steeping, steaming, and koji making, i.e. whole koji making processes, are integratedly performed.

The type of koji mold(from left: black, white, and yellow koji mold)

How to make pot distillation shochu

Pot distillation shochu on the market

Storage and shipment

Distillation

Main moromi

First moromi

Ingredients

First addition

Second addition

Yeast

KojiKoji ingredients

Main ingredients

Cit ric a cid make fe rmenting mash acidic.

The relationship between honkaku shochu and awamori in the category of pot distillation shochu

Pot distillation shochu

Honkaku shochu (authentic shochu) It includes abovementioned list 1‒4 and part of 5 (u s e d in g re die n t s a re s tip u la te d by t h e commissioner of the national tax agency of Japan) and nothing is added except for water.

AwamoriPot distillation shochu made from rice, exclusive use black koji mold and water only.

Koji ingredients are washed by this rotating drum, and steamed on the next day. And then, the koji is made inside the drum.

Yeast

Water

Main ingredients

Water

First moromi

Main moromi

Koji

Kojiingredients

Koji

Citricacidity

Bacteria

The relationship between saccharification with the use ofenzymes of koji mold and fermentation by yeast

Saccharification Fermentation

SugarStarch

Alcohol

Kojienzyme Yeast

Preparation for fermenting mash shochu distilling

The aroma component is formed together with alcohol by the yeast.

３～８ days later

Main moromi

Earthnwarejar

Earthnwarejar

KojiYeast Water

Main ingredientsWater

The high temperature fermentation with the use of koji containing citric acid attains large amounts of yeast for a short period of time.

First moromi

First moromi

Pot distillation shochu　Pot distillation shochu is a spirits of no more than 45% (v/v) alcohol content, which distilled fermenting mash using pot st i l l . Pot d ist i l lat ion shochu is classified into the following five categories:　1. Shochu made from some kind of grains or tubers

and roots and their koji (e.g., rice shochu, barley shochu and sweet potato shochu)

　2. Shochu made from grain koji only (e.g., awamori)　3. Shochu made from sake cake (sake cake shochu)　4. Shochu made from brown sugar and r ice koji

(brown sugar shochu)　5. Shochu made from ingredients other than 1‒4.

F o r e x amp l e , s h o c h u m a d e f r om m a i n ingredients such as sesame, pumpkin, or carrot can be labeled “honkaku shochu.”

　Honkaku shochu and awamori are classified in the pot d i s t i l lat ion shochu g roup. I f t he product s implement certain standards, they are granted to be labeled “honkaku shochu (authentic shochu)” or “awamori.” Summary of the production processes are as follows.

　Major brands of pot d i s t i l lat ion shochu a re p r o du c e d i n t h e f o l l ow i n g s e qu enc e . Ma i n ingredients processing, koji making, first moromi, main moromi, distillation, storage, and shipment are explained hereafter.

　The use of black or white koji mold for shochu distilling became prevalent at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the main reasons why we use black or white koji mold for shochu distilling is that they produce abundant citric acid. One of the most important works in producing any alcoholic beverage is to protect fermenting mash from potentially harmful bacteria. In the case of pot distillation shochu, the abundant citric acid secreted from black or white koji mold makes ferment ing mash strongly acidic and suppresses bacterial growth with its acidity. Therefore, it is essential to make koji that contains sufficient citric acid as wel l as enzymes. The shochu production methods with the use of black or white koji mold were a great discoveries of our ancestors, which are major distinctive characteristics of pot distillation shochu distilling.

Koji making　In case of rice koji making for shochu distilling, first steamed rice is cooled down, second koji spores are seeded over the whole surface of the steamed rice to be fu l ly inoculated. A lthough th is process takes approximately 40 hours in koji making for shochu distilling, it is shorter than making koji for sake. 　The control of temperature for shochu koji making is usually set to be higher (40‒42°C or 104‒108°F) in t he former ha l f and to be lowered (30 ‒35°C or 8 6 ‒ 95° F ) i n t he l a t te r ha l f . Un le s s t he l a t te r temperature is set to be no more than 35°C, citric acid won’t be secreted enough.

　First addit ion (First shikomi) is the yeast growth process in order to properly ferment main moromi. When this process is completed, it is referred to as first moromi.

Koji

First moromi:Growth of the yeast

Main moromi :Saccharification and fermentation

Ingredients　Ingred ient s used for pot d i s t i l lat ion shochu a re classified into either main ingredients or that for koji. The main ingredients are starch feedstocks such as r ice, barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, or brown sugar. The ingredients for koji are usually rice, however barley and sweet potatoes have been used in cer ta in reg ions. Characteristics of shochu based on main ingredients and the diversity of koji across the region are explained in the second booklet of our Story of Shochu in more detail.

The role of koji　A l t houg h t he p r oduc t i on me t hod s o f mo s t p o t dist i l lat ion shochu includes koji making process, the var iety of the koji mold used for shochu dist i l l ing is different from that used for sake.　K o j i po s se s se s a l a r ge number o f en z ymes t ha t t r a n s f o r m s t a r c h i n t o s u g a r s , w h i c h i s c a l l e d “saccharification.” Yeast produces alcohol from the sugar, which is cal led " fermentat ion". Beer and whisky are produced by saccharifying starch into sugar with the use of the enzymes from the malt, and then by fermenting sugar into alcohol by yeast. Both of pot distillation shochu and sake are produced by saccharification with the use of enzymes of koji instead of those of malt and by fermenting sugar into alcohol. One of the character ist ics of pot distillation shochu is the use of koji for saccharification.

The type of koji mold　Three types of koji molds are used in shochu distilling: (1) black koji mold, (2) white koji mold, and (3) yellow koji mold. While almost all of the sake brands are made with yellow koji mold, while pot distillation shochu is usually produced either with black or white koji mold.

　When koji and a smal l amount of yeast are put together into a container (tank, earthenware jar etc.), the enzymes of koji saccharify starch into sugar, which yeast subsequently consumes to propagate itself. The first moromi for shochu distilling is proposed only from koji, yeast, and water without main ingredients. Lactic acid is used to prevent growth of harmful bacteria in sake brewing. In contrast, citric acid secreted from black or white koji mold inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria in shochu fermenting mash. When the first moromi is fermented around 30°C (86°F) for 3～8 days, yeast w i l l grow wel l enough to ferment the main moromi properly.

　Second addition (Second shikomi) is the process that the main ingredients are added to the first moromi. This semi-finished product is referred to as the main moromi.　The type of pot distillation shochu is specified by the main ingredients added at this process such as rice, barley, sweet potato, or buckwheat. For example, when r ice is added to the main moromi, it is termed r ice shochu, likewise, the same applies for barley, sweet potato and buckwheat.　Steamed and cooled down main ingredients and water are added to the first moromi filled with fully grew yeast, and then the starch of main ingredients are sacchar ified into sugar, which yeast subsequent ly assimilates to ferment. The maximum temperature of the main moromi reaches 28‒32°C (82‒90°F ). The fermenting temperature is much higher than that of sake and is vulnerable to potentially harmful bacteria. However relatively large amount of citric acid from koji and massively grew yeast protect fermenting mash from harmful bacteria. The fermentation lasts around t wo we e k s a n d t h e a l c o h o l c o n t e n t r e a c h e s approximately 14‒20%.　The water content of sweet potato is so higher than any grains that the alcohol content of sweet potato shochu is lower than those of grain-based shochu.

The Story of Shochu

02

How to distill shochuHo

Rotating drum: is a widely used machine in which washingof koji ingredients, steeping, steaming, and koji making, i.e. whole koji making processes, are integratedly performed.

The type of koji mold(from left: black, white, and yellow koji mold)

How to make pot distillation shochu

Pot distillation shochu on the market

Storage and shipment

Distillation

Main moromi

First moromi

Ingredients

First addition

Second addition

Yeast

KojiKoji ingredients

Main ingredients

Cit ric a cid make fe rmenting mash acidic.

The relationship between honkaku shochu and awamori in the category of pot distillation shochu

Pot distillation shochu

Honkaku shochu (authentic shochu) It includes abovementioned list 1‒4 and part of 5 (u s e d in g re die n t s a re s tip u la te d by t h e commissioner of the national tax agency of Japan) and nothing is added except for water.

AwamoriPot distillation shochu made from rice, exclusive use black koji mold and water only.

Koji ingredients are washed by this rotating drum, and steamed on the next day. And then, the koji is made inside the drum.

Yeast

Water

Main ingredients

Water

First moromi

Main moromi

Koji

Kojiingredients

Koji

Citricacidity

Bacteria

The relationship between saccharification with the use ofenzymes of koji mold and fermentation by yeast

Saccharification Fermentation

SugarStarch

Alcohol

Kojienzyme Yeast

Preparation for fermenting mash shochu distilling

The aroma component is formed together with alcohol by the yeast.

３～８ days later

Main moromi

Earthnwarejar

Earthnwarejar

KojiYeast Water

Main ingredientsWater

The high temperature fermentation with the use of koji containing citric acid attains large amounts of yeast for a short period of time.

First moromi

First moromi

Pot distillation shochu　Pot distillation shochu is a spirits of no more than 45% (v/v) alcohol content, which distilled fermenting mash using pot st i l l . Pot d ist i l lat ion shochu is classified into the following five categories:　1. Shochu made from some kind of grains or tubers

and roots and their koji (e.g., rice shochu, barley shochu and sweet potato shochu)

　2. Shochu made from grain koji only (e.g., awamori)　3. Shochu made from sake cake (sake cake shochu)　4. Shochu made from brown sugar and r ice koji

(brown sugar shochu)　5. Shochu made from ingredients other than 1‒4.

F o r e x amp l e , s h o c h u m a d e f r om m a i n ingredients such as sesame, pumpkin, or carrot can be labeled “honkaku shochu.”

　Honkaku shochu and awamori are classified in the pot d i s t i l lat ion shochu g roup. I f t he product s implement certain standards, they are granted to be labeled “honkaku shochu (authentic shochu)” or “awamori.” Summary of the production processes are as follows.

　Major brands of pot d i s t i l lat ion shochu a re p r o du c e d i n t h e f o l l ow i n g s e qu enc e . Ma i n ingredients processing, koji making, first moromi, main moromi, distillation, storage, and shipment are explained hereafter.

　The use of black or white koji mold for shochu distilling became prevalent at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the main reasons why we use black or white koji mold for shochu distilling is that they produce abundant citric acid. One of the most important works in producing any alcoholic beverage is to protect fermenting mash from potentially harmful bacteria. In the case of pot distillation shochu, the abundant citric acid secreted from black or white koji mold makes ferment ing mash strongly acidic and suppresses bacterial growth with its acidity. Therefore, it is essential to make koji that contains sufficient citric acid as wel l as enzymes. The shochu production methods with the use of black or white koji mold were a great discoveries of our ancestors, which are major distinctive characteristics of pot distillation shochu distilling.

Koji making　In case of rice koji making for shochu distilling, first steamed rice is cooled down, second koji spores are seeded over the whole surface of the steamed rice to be fu l ly inoculated. A lthough th is process takes approximately 40 hours in koji making for shochu distilling, it is shorter than making koji for sake. 　The control of temperature for shochu koji making is usually set to be higher (40‒42°C or 104‒108°F) in t he former ha l f and to be lowered (30 ‒35°C or 8 6 ‒ 95° F ) i n t he l a t te r ha l f . Un le s s t he l a t te r temperature is set to be no more than 35°C, citric acid won’t be secreted enough.

　First addit ion (First shikomi) is the yeast growth process in order to properly ferment main moromi. When this process is completed, it is referred to as first moromi.

Koji

First moromi:Growth of the yeast

Main moromi :Saccharification and fermentation

Ingredients　Ingred ient s used for pot d i s t i l lat ion shochu a re classified into either main ingredients or that for koji. The main ingredients are starch feedstocks such as r ice, barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, or brown sugar. The ingredients for koji are usually rice, however barley and sweet potatoes have been used in cer ta in reg ions. Characteristics of shochu based on main ingredients and the diversity of koji across the region are explained in the second booklet of our Story of Shochu in more detail.

The role of koji　A l t houg h t he p r oduc t i on me t hod s o f mo s t p o t dist i l lat ion shochu includes koji making process, the var iety of the koji mold used for shochu dist i l l ing is different from that used for sake.　K o j i po s se s se s a l a r ge number o f en z ymes t ha t t r a n s f o r m s t a r c h i n t o s u g a r s , w h i c h i s c a l l e d “saccharification.” Yeast produces alcohol from the sugar, which is cal led " fermentat ion". Beer and whisky are produced by saccharifying starch into sugar with the use of the enzymes from the malt, and then by fermenting sugar into alcohol by yeast. Both of pot distillation shochu and sake are produced by saccharification with the use of enzymes of koji instead of those of malt and by fermenting sugar into alcohol. One of the character ist ics of pot distillation shochu is the use of koji for saccharification.

The type of koji mold　Three types of koji molds are used in shochu distilling: (1) black koji mold, (2) white koji mold, and (3) yellow koji mold. While almost all of the sake brands are made with yellow koji mold, while pot distillation shochu is usually produced either with black or white koji mold.

　When koji and a smal l amount of yeast are put together into a container (tank, earthenware jar etc.), the enzymes of koji saccharify starch into sugar, which yeast subsequently consumes to propagate itself. The first moromi for shochu distilling is proposed only from koji, yeast, and water without main ingredients. Lactic acid is used to prevent growth of harmful bacteria in sake brewing. In contrast, citric acid secreted from black or white koji mold inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria in shochu fermenting mash. When the first moromi is fermented around 30°C (86°F) for 3～8 days, yeast w i l l grow wel l enough to ferment the main moromi properly.

　Second addition (Second shikomi) is the process that the main ingredients are added to the first moromi. This semi-finished product is referred to as the main moromi.　The type of pot distillation shochu is specified by the main ingredients added at this process such as rice, barley, sweet potato, or buckwheat. For example, when r ice is added to the main moromi, it is termed r ice shochu, likewise, the same applies for barley, sweet potato and buckwheat.　Steamed and cooled down main ingredients and water are added to the first moromi filled with fully grew yeast, and then the starch of main ingredients are sacchar ified into sugar, which yeast subsequent ly assimilates to ferment. The maximum temperature of the main moromi reaches 28‒32°C (82‒90°F ). The fermenting temperature is much higher than that of sake and is vulnerable to potentially harmful bacteria. However relatively large amount of citric acid from koji and massively grew yeast protect fermenting mash from harmful bacteria. The fermentation lasts around t wo we e k s a n d t h e a l c o h o l c o n t e n t r e a c h e s approximately 14‒20%.　The water content of sweet potato is so higher than any grains that the alcohol content of sweet potato shochu is lower than those of grain-based shochu.

The Story of Shochu

03

How to distill shochuHo

The difference between atmospheric distillation and vacuum distillation

Continuous still (left) and an overview of distillation (right)

Distillation Ingredients Fermentation Distillation ShipmentSkimmingStorage Filtration Shipment

Component easy to evaporateComponent hard to evaporateComponent generated by heating

Atmospheric pot still Vacuum pot still

85-95℃ 45-55℃

Vacuumpump

Distillationtower

Continuous supply of fermenting mash e n a ble s efficie n t mass production

T h e s a m e e f f e c t a s r e p e a ti n g p o t distillation

The higher the row, the more concentrated the alcohol will be

Shelf plate

Water steam

Fermenting mash

Distillate

【Distiller shelf plate structure】

LiquidSteamSteam

　Furthermore, each distillery has slightly different structure of a pot still, such as the height of concentration column or the angle of the lyne arm and etc. and slightly different strength of steam injection into the moromi each other, which are also important factors contributing to individual flavors of respective shochu.　The dist i l lat ion methods of pot dist i l lat ion shochu can be roughly classified into two methods: (1) atmospheric distillation and (2) vacuum distillation.　

Atmospheric distillation　Atmospheric distillation is performed under atmospheric pressure. The main moromi is boiled at so high temperature that most of components easily transfer into the distillate. In addition, chemical reactions such as decomposition of the components and synthesis are facilitated at high temperature. Thus, new compounds are also generated and transferred to the distillate. Thus various kinds of components along with alcohol in main moromi are transferred into the distillate, so that the shochu features full of flavors and richness.

Vacuum distillation　Vacuum dist i l lat ion is per formed by decompressing the pressure inside the pot. For example, the pressure at the summit of Mt. Fuji is a little lower and water comes to the boil at around 87°C (189°F). Based on this principle, it is possible to distill at a lower temperature than 100°C.　When dist i l lat ion is per formed below(at less than) 100°C using vacuum pot st i l l , i t s d ist i l late conta ins less flavor substances which is hard to volatilize so that its finished shochu tastes lighter than shochu distilled using atmospheric pot still.

　In the distilling of pot distillation shochu, whether each shochu dist i l lery should use the atmospher ic pot st i l l or vacuum pot st i l l depends on the d iverse preferences of consumers today.　Furthermore, blending of shochu made with atmospheric and vacuum distillation methods has been used to retain both of individual flavors. Finally, improved vacuum distillation methods that d ist i l l under intermediate pressure of the atmospheric and vacuum pressure also exist.

Mixed shochu

Pot distillationshochu

Mixedshochu

Continuousdistillationshochu

　In order to gain a diverse range of aroma, there are also some product which is blend of pot distillation and continuous distillation shochu.

　When pot distillation shochu is mixed with not less than 5% of it s volume of cont inuous d ist i l lat ion shochu, this fact has to be indicated on the label, and vice versa. When the ratio of continuous distillation shochu is larger than that of pot distillation shochu, “continuous and pot distillation shochu admixture” or “ko-otsu konwa” has to be indicated, in the opposite c a se “po t a nd cont i nuou s d i s t i l l a t ion shochu admixture” or “otsu-ko konwa” has to be.

Continuous distillation shochu

One of the continuous distillation shochu, generally known as "white liquor", belongs to the category of less than 36% alcohol content among l iquors which are produced using continuous still.　Scottish Robert Stein invented the continuous still in 1826, and Irish Aeneas Coffey improved it in 1831. It is said that this facil ity was introduced into Japan and the making of continuous distillation shochu started around 1900.

　The cont inuous dist i l lat ion method can provide more r e fi ned pu r e a l c oho l due to c on t i nuou s mu l t i s t a ge distillation. Therefore, any characteristics of the ingredients are hardly detected in shochu dist i l led by this method. Waste molasses (liquid residue of sugar refining process) or maize (corn) are usually used as the main ingredients for continuous distillation shochu. Waste molasses are firstly d i lu ted w i t h hot wate r ( i ng red ient l iqu id ) , second ly pasteurized, thirdly transferred to a tank, and finally added with a little yeast along with sterile aeration in order to grow yeast. After yeast has fully grown, it is moved to a larger fermentation tank with the rest ingredient liquid and the p ro ce s s o f a l c oho l f e rment a t i on i s s t a r ted w i t hou t ventilation. Fermentation is completed in 3‒4 days, and then the raw fermented l iquid with 10% of alcohol content is distilled by a continuous still up to the maximum level of nearly 97% alcohol, and finally is diluted with water and reduced to le s s t han 36% a lcohol . A lmos t a l l o f t he component s excep t a lcoho l a nd wate r a re v i r t ua l l y completely removed by dist i l lat ion, so that cont inuous distillation shochu have a neutral character with slightly sweet flavor of alcohol and taste. Nowadays, crude alcohol is in advance produced by fermentation and rough distillation in Brazil or Southeast Asia and then is imported to Japan and is distilled using a highly sophisticated, continuous still to complete the quality continuous distillation shochu.

Distillation　The distillation process follows the fermentation of main moromi. Main moromi which has completes fermentation is transferred into a pot still and is to be heated. The choice out of the two methods depends on the nature of ingredients used. For example, the direct injection method is employed for such a high viscous main moromi so as sweet potato not to be burnt and stuck on the inner surface of a pot still. As the temperature of the main moromi rises, the alcohol and other components come to evaporate. The vapor is cooled down while it passes through concentrat ion column, lyne arm, cooling condenser and is collected as distillate.

　This distillation process makes spirit what it is, and is the decisively different feature from fermented liquor such as sake.　The various kinds of components included in the main moromi are separated and condensed due to their mutual differences in each boiling temperature or each volatility. For example, the boiling temperature of water is around 100°C (212°F) but that of alcohol is around 78°C (172°F). This means that alcohol will vaporize at the lower temperature than water. Therefore, the alcohol content is concentrated. This is why the alcohol content in distillate is higher than that of the main moromi. The alcohol content of the main moromi is usually around 14‒20%, but due to distillation process it increases up to 37‒43%.　Most whisky goes through two or more distillation processes. In contrast, pot distillation shochu is distilled only once single pot still. Thus, distillate collected in shochu production is likely to contain a small amount of substances in addition to alcohol, which makes characteristics of the main ingredients have more influence on the flavors of respective shochu. Therefore, the d ist i l lat ion process i s one of the most impor tant factors determining the flavor and quality of shochu.

Concentration column

Lyne arm

Distillate is collected

Vapor turns to liquidafter cooling

Main moromi is heated and gives off steam

Vapor

Liquid

Distillate

Water steam

Cooling　condenser

Pot

Pot still (left) and an overview of distillation (right)

Storage, Shipment　The distillate or genshu which is undiluted is stored in a storage tank to stabilize and harmonize its flavors after the filtration to remove oily components. Freshly distilled shochu usually has a pungent odor and a coarse, t ingly sensat ion on the tongue. However, the maturing process during storage transforms these defects into the delicate and mellow flavor and taste.　The content of oily component derived from the ingredients is high, especially in atmospheric distillation. Once oxidized, these oily components in the distillate turn into unpleasant smelling components ca l led “ox id ized oi l odor” through ox idat ive decomposition. Therefore, the oily components are removed by skimming or filtration, and precautions against oxidation are taken during storage.　Shochu is usually stored as genshu, fresh out of dist il lat ion without adding any ingredients or water. Thus, the alcohol content of genshu is 37‒43%. However, the alcohol content is reduced to 20‒25% by dilut ing genshu with water before the bottling and the shipment.　Most shochu are shipped after shorter period of maturation time than other kinds of spirits, which is one of characteristics of shochu. For example, the storage time for whisky or brandy in barrels is at least several years. In contrast, most shochu, except for special kinds of long matured shochu, is shipped within one year of distillation.　There a re a l so c a se s i n wh ich shochu i s s tored i n an earthenware jar or wooden barrel. When shochu is stored in a barrel, it can acquire deep aroma and taste due to elution of barrel components, slight amount of volatil ization of shochu components and contact with oxygen. When shochu is stored in a ear thenware jar for a long per iod of t ime, it can acquire mellow aroma and well-balanced flavor due to contact with oxygen and catalytic action of mineral constituents eluted from earthenware jar.

04

How to distill shochuHo

The difference between atmospheric distillation and vacuum distillation

Continuous still (left) and an overview of distillation (right)

Distillation Ingredients Fermentation Distillation ShipmentSkimmingStorage Filtration Shipment

Component easy to evaporateComponent hard to evaporateComponent generated by heating

Atmospheric pot still Vacuum pot still

85-95℃ 45-55℃

Vacuumpump

Distillationtower

Continuous supply of fermenting mash e n a ble s efficie n t mass production

T h e s a m e e f f e c t a s r e p e a ti n g p o t distillation

The higher the row, the more concentrated the alcohol will be

Shelf plate

Water steam

Fermenting mash

Distillate

【Distiller shelf plate structure】

LiquidSteamSteam

　Furthermore, each distillery has slightly different structure of a pot still, such as the height of concentration column or the angle of the lyne arm and etc. and slightly different strength of steam injection into the moromi each other, which are also important factors contributing to individual flavors of respective shochu.　The dist i l lat ion methods of pot dist i l lat ion shochu can be roughly classified into two methods: (1) atmospheric distillation and (2) vacuum distillation.　

Atmospheric distillation　Atmospheric distillation is performed under atmospheric pressure. The main moromi is boiled at so high temperature that most of components easily transfer into the distillate. In addition, chemical reactions such as decomposition of the components and synthesis are facilitated at high temperature. Thus, new compounds are also generated and transferred to the distillate. Thus various kinds of components along with alcohol in main moromi are transferred into the distillate, so that the shochu features full of flavors and richness.

Vacuum distillation　Vacuum dist i l lat ion is per formed by decompressing the pressure inside the pot. For example, the pressure at the summit of Mt. Fuji is a little lower and water comes to the boil at around 87°C (189°F). Based on this principle, it is possible to distill at a lower temperature than 100°C.　When dist i l lat ion is per formed below(at less than) 100°C using vacuum pot st i l l , i t s d ist i l late conta ins less flavor substances which is hard to volatilize so that its finished shochu tastes lighter than shochu distilled using atmospheric pot still.

　In the distilling of pot distillation shochu, whether each shochu dist i l lery should use the atmospher ic pot st i l l or vacuum pot st i l l depends on the d iverse preferences of consumers today.　Furthermore, blending of shochu made with atmospheric and vacuum distillation methods has been used to retain both of individual flavors. Finally, improved vacuum distillation methods that d ist i l l under intermediate pressure of the atmospheric and vacuum pressure also exist.

Mixed shochu

Pot distillationshochu

Mixedshochu

Continuousdistillationshochu

　In order to gain a diverse range of aroma, there are also some product which is blend of pot distillation and continuous distillation shochu.

　When pot distillation shochu is mixed with not less than 5% of it s volume of cont inuous d ist i l lat ion shochu, this fact has to be indicated on the label, and vice versa. When the ratio of continuous distillation shochu is larger than that of pot distillation shochu, “continuous and pot distillation shochu admixture” or “ko-otsu konwa” has to be indicated, in the opposite c a se “po t a nd cont i nuou s d i s t i l l a t ion shochu admixture” or “otsu-ko konwa” has to be.

Continuous distillation shochu

One of the continuous distillation shochu, generally known as "white liquor", belongs to the category of less than 36% alcohol content among l iquors which are produced using continuous still.　Scottish Robert Stein invented the continuous still in 1826, and Irish Aeneas Coffey improved it in 1831. It is said that this facil ity was introduced into Japan and the making of continuous distillation shochu started around 1900.

　The cont inuous dist i l lat ion method can provide more r e fi ned pu r e a l c oho l due to c on t i nuou s mu l t i s t a ge distillation. Therefore, any characteristics of the ingredients are hardly detected in shochu dist i l led by this method. Waste molasses (liquid residue of sugar refining process) or maize (corn) are usually used as the main ingredients for continuous distillation shochu. Waste molasses are firstly d i lu ted w i t h hot wate r ( i ng red ient l iqu id ) , second ly pasteurized, thirdly transferred to a tank, and finally added with a little yeast along with sterile aeration in order to grow yeast. After yeast has fully grown, it is moved to a larger fermentation tank with the rest ingredient liquid and the p ro ce s s o f a l c oho l f e rment a t i on i s s t a r ted w i t hou t ventilation. Fermentation is completed in 3‒4 days, and then the raw fermented l iquid with 10% of alcohol content is distilled by a continuous still up to the maximum level of nearly 97% alcohol, and finally is diluted with water and reduced to le s s t han 36% a lcohol . A lmos t a l l o f t he component s excep t a lcoho l a nd wate r a re v i r t ua l l y completely removed by dist i l lat ion, so that cont inuous distillation shochu have a neutral character with slightly sweet flavor of alcohol and taste. Nowadays, crude alcohol is in advance produced by fermentation and rough distillation in Brazil or Southeast Asia and then is imported to Japan and is distilled using a highly sophisticated, continuous still to complete the quality continuous distillation shochu.

Distillation　The distillation process follows the fermentation of main moromi. Main moromi which has completes fermentation is transferred into a pot still and is to be heated. The choice out of the two methods depends on the nature of ingredients used. For example, the direct injection method is employed for such a high viscous main moromi so as sweet potato not to be burnt and stuck on the inner surface of a pot still. As the temperature of the main moromi rises, the alcohol and other components come to evaporate. The vapor is cooled down while it passes through concentrat ion column, lyne arm, cooling condenser and is collected as distillate.

　This distillation process makes spirit what it is, and is the decisively different feature from fermented liquor such as sake.　The various kinds of components included in the main moromi are separated and condensed due to their mutual differences in each boiling temperature or each volatility. For example, the boiling temperature of water is around 100°C (212°F) but that of alcohol is around 78°C (172°F). This means that alcohol will vaporize at the lower temperature than water. Therefore, the alcohol content is concentrated. This is why the alcohol content in distillate is higher than that of the main moromi. The alcohol content of the main moromi is usually around 14‒20%, but due to distillation process it increases up to 37‒43%.　Most whisky goes through two or more distillation processes. In contrast, pot distillation shochu is distilled only once single pot still. Thus, distillate collected in shochu production is likely to contain a small amount of substances in addition to alcohol, which makes characteristics of the main ingredients have more influence on the flavors of respective shochu. Therefore, the d ist i l lat ion process i s one of the most impor tant factors determining the flavor and quality of shochu.

Concentration column

Lyne arm

Distillate is collected

Vapor turns to liquidafter cooling

Main moromi is heated and gives off steam

Vapor

Liquid

Distillate

Water steam

Cooling　condenser

Pot

Pot still (left) and an overview of distillation (right)

Storage, Shipment　The distillate or genshu which is undiluted is stored in a storage tank to stabilize and harmonize its flavors after the filtration to remove oily components. Freshly distilled shochu usually has a pungent odor and a coarse, t ingly sensat ion on the tongue. However, the maturing process during storage transforms these defects into the delicate and mellow flavor and taste.　The content of oily component derived from the ingredients is high, especially in atmospheric distillation. Once oxidized, these oily components in the distillate turn into unpleasant smelling components ca l led “ox id ized oi l odor” through ox idat ive decomposition. Therefore, the oily components are removed by skimming or filtration, and precautions against oxidation are taken during storage.　Shochu is usually stored as genshu, fresh out of dist il lat ion without adding any ingredients or water. Thus, the alcohol content of genshu is 37‒43%. However, the alcohol content is reduced to 20‒25% by dilut ing genshu with water before the bottling and the shipment.　Most shochu are shipped after shorter period of maturation time than other kinds of spirits, which is one of characteristics of shochu. For example, the storage time for whisky or brandy in barrels is at least several years. In contrast, most shochu, except for special kinds of long matured shochu, is shipped within one year of distillation.　There a re a l so c a se s i n wh ich shochu i s s tored i n an earthenware jar or wooden barrel. When shochu is stored in a barrel, it can acquire deep aroma and taste due to elution of barrel components, slight amount of volatil ization of shochu components and contact with oxygen. When shochu is stored in a ear thenware jar for a long per iod of t ime, it can acquire mellow aroma and well-balanced flavor due to contact with oxygen and catalytic action of mineral constituents eluted from earthenware jar.

05

Product informationProThe Story

of Shochu

Pot distillation

Continuous distillation

Distillation method Atmospheric distillation

Vacuum distillation

A mixture of atmospheric distillation shochu and vacuum distillation shochu has been made.

Indication of “mixed shochu” is required for a shochu which pot distillation shochu is blended with no less than 5% of its volume of continuous distillation shochu, and vice versa.

KusuThe vintage awamori mature and aged for 10 years

Shochuwith hot water

Shochuwith cold water

Koji moldEasily grow on rice or barley

Citric acid

Enzymes that breakdown starch

Enjoy shochuDrinkmoderately

Barley Rice BuckwheatAwamori

Sakecake

Brown

sugar

Sweet

potato

Whiteliquo

r

A couple, Rika and Mikio, come into the liquor store.

R i k a :

Owner:

R i k a :Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

We would l ike to enjoy shochu, but we are confused because there are so many kinds of shochu to choose from. That is because shochu is made from var ious k inds of ingredients. So, to ful ly appreciate shochu, you should begin by learning the differences of ingredients and that of distillation methods. What kinds of ingredients are used for shochu distilling? Some well-known main ingredients are sweet potatoes, barley, r ice, brown sugar, buckwheat and sake cake and furthermore, Japanese chestnuts and “shiso” which is a Japanese aromatic herb like basil often used in Japanese cooking. Each kind of shochu has dist inctive flavor and there are a lot of varieties. Can the flavor of the shochu which is even made from same ingredient vary due to the differences of distillation methods? Yes. There are two distillation methods: (1) pot distillation and (2) continuous distillation. In addition, pot distillation me t hod i s c l a s s i fied i n to a tmospher ic a nd vacuum distillation. The atmospheric distillation shochu has clear distinctive aroma and rich flavor of ingredients, however the vacuum distillation shochu has mild distinctive aroma and light flavor of ingredients. Do the labels on shochu bottles show which distillation method was used? Some of the shochu is produced by blending atmospheric with vacuum distillation shochu; and distilleries are not required to indicate the distillation method on the labels, actually, the indications are not always carried out. Still, you should be able to tell the difference between distinctive characteristics of shochu made from different distillation methods by tasting it. Would you like to try to taste some? Wow! You’re r ight, I can tel l that the shochu made by atmospheric distillation has a rich flavor and shochu made by vacuum distillation tastes light. What is the difference in flavor between pot distillation shochu and continuous distillation shochu? Most of shochu made by pot distillation require only one t ime of d ist i l lat ion. But , shochu made by cont inuous dist i l lat ion is equivalent to dozens of per formances of distillation, so that it tastes light. Hmmm, I am little confused with different shochu served one after another. But, if we summarize what we’ve learned so far, the pot d ist i l lat ion shochu under atmospher ic

R i k a :

Owner:

R i k a :Owner:

Mik io:Owner:

R i k a :

Owner:

is enjoyable to actually try and quest for your own favorite way o f d r i n k i ng , o r to change you r way o f d r i n k i ng according as your own mood on each occasion. You seem to have different impressions even from the same shochu due to the above-mentioned ways of dr inking. It is attractive for you to be able to change the way of drinking shochu among various options available. I see̶shochu is a drink worth experimenting with. What is the proper ratio of shochu to hot water or cold water? The most common ratio of shochu to hot or cold water is 4:6, 5:5, or 6:4. But, I personally like to make shochu a little thinner than above-mentioned rat ios because I think the or iginal flavor of the shochu remains even with the l ight taste and I feel like drinking more and more. But, again, how to drink shochu is entirely up to you and your mood at that day. How should we keep shochu? Shochu is such a spirits which contains only small amount of components and is less changeable in quality. Still, you should keep shochu in a cool, dark place to avoid direct s u n l i g h t . Shochu c a n ge t c l oudy i f you s to r e i t i n a refrigerator. This phenomenon occurs because a certain low temperatu re makes t he o i ly component i n t he shochu insoluble. With a rise in temperature, the cloudiness should disappear and the shochu will become clear again. There is shochu that is originally cloudy. Originally cloudy shochu is usually high in oily components. Cloudy shochu is usually pot dist i l lat ion shochu, and this cloudiness is what makes it interest ing. Pot d ist i l lat ion shochu is usually distilled only once, which leaves relatively st rong or ig inal flavors of ingredients together with high content of oily components. Pot dist i l lat ion shochu tastes r ich due to high content of oily components, however the oily components will cause such stale odor as oily odor due to its oxidation during long time of storage. So, before the technology to remove oily content in shochu was invented, shochu could not be stored so long, that shochu dist il lery shipped it within one year of production date. Recently some shochu distilleries have intentionally started making shochu with high content of oily components. Unlike whisky, newly d i s t i l l e d sho chu c a n b e en j oyed r i g h t away̶ i t ’s a character ist ic of shochu. Unlike whiskey, newly dist i l led shochu can be enjoyed within a few months after distillation, which is one of the merits of shochu. Thank you very much for your lecture regarding shochu. I would l ike to buy several k inds of shochu and taste and evaluate the differences in flavor between them. Please enjoy shopping.

Mik io:

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

pressure has strong distinctive flavor which is derived from respective ingredients, and that under vacuum pressure has mild flavor, and finally continuous distillation shochu has clear light flavor. There is shochu with labeling that reads “otsu-ko konwa shochu.” The continuous distillation shochu is also called “ko-rui shochu”, the pot distillation shochu is also called “otsu-rui shochu.” “Mixed shochu” is a blended product of ko-rui and otsu-rui of shochu. Based on the ratio of the two kinds in the mixture, shochu is called “ko-otsu konwa” or “otsu-ko konwa.” The first term indicates the larger rat io in the mixture. So, the mixture is complicated with the blend of shochu made from atmospheric and vacuum distillation or that of pot distillation and continuous distillation. Yes, the mixtures have plenty of variety. There are also many k inds of ingredients̶this is what makes shochu more interesting.

R i k a :

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

We of ten see shochu indicated “honkaku shochu,” which means “authent ic shochu,” but which category does th is product belong to? Honkaku or authent ic shochu belongs to pot dist i l lat ion shochu. Shochu which fulfill certain requirements are granted to indicate “honkaku shochu” or “awamori.” Although the island of Kyushu is the center of honkaku shochu production in Japan, honkaku shochu is d ist i l led throughout Japan. Awamori is produced primarily in Okinawa prefecture. I see that sweet potato and r ice koji are indicated on the ing red ient s sect ion of t he labe l . Do you use r ice when distilling sweet potato shochu? Yes. It is easier to make koji on r ice than on sweet potato. That is why they usually use rice, sometimes barley even for the distilling of sweet potato shochu. For example, the water content of sweet potato is higher than that of rice, so that it tends to lose it s shape, which inh ibit s koji f rom growing sufficient ly on it , and koji i s unable to produce sufficient enzymes to break down s ta rch. However, some shochu distilleries in Japan have overcome these difficulties of making koji on diced sweet potato and dist i l led shochu, which have d i ff e r e n t fl a v o r s f rom sweet potato s h o c h u d i s t i l l e d using rice koji.

M ik io:Owner:

R i k a :Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

Owner:

Mik io:Owner:R i k a :

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

Owner:

Does this mean koji has a large impact on the taste of shochu? Main ingredients or distillation methods have large impacts on the taste of shochu. In contrast, taste of shochu does not rely very much on its koji. Do you use rice koji for barley shochu distilling too? They use rice koji for barley shochu distilling in Ikishima island in Nagasaki prefecture, but use barley koji for barley shochu dist i l l ing in Oita prefecture. Comparing the flavor of shochu made f rom va r ious t y pes o f k o j i i s a f un and i ntere s t i ng experience. There are dist i l led alcoholic beverages such as whisky and brandy other than shochu on the market. How are they different from shochu? The biggest difference is the ingredients used for dist i l l ing these spir its: whisky is made from malt, and brandy is made from fruits. According to the Liquor Tax Law, spirits made from malt (germinated barley) and fruits are not allowed to indicate “shochu.” Therefore, malt shochu and apple shochu cannot be existed. I tend to associate whisky with a long maturat ion. Does pot distillation shochu require a long time for the maturation? Most whisk ies are usual ly matured at least 3 years before shipment to the market. But, as is usually the case with pot distillation shochu, it is shipped within one year. So, shochu is consumed early. Yes, it’s one of the advantages of shochu. Are there any shochu that is stored for a long period of time for maturation or aging? It is a well-known vintage awamori, called “kusu”, which is character ized by a sweet aroma, requires at least 3 years of maturat ion. There are also other v intage products that are matured in barrels or earthenware jars besides kusu, whose fl avor s va r y du r i ng a l o n g p e r i o d o f m a t u r a t i o n t i m e respectively. I have an image t hat whisky is usually served on the rocks with some l ight snacks at a bar in Japan. How i s shochu served and entertained? Whisky usual ly seems t o b e e n j o y e d o n l y before or af ter a meal, h o w e v e r s h o c h u i s actually enjoyed during a mea l . T h i s mer i t i s uncommon, and is a lmost un ique to shochu among spi r it s throughout the world. When I order a bott le of shochu or a g lass of shochu at an izakaya, a casual Japanese gastropub, I am often asked, “How would you like to drink your shochu?” What is the best way to order my shochu at an izakaya? Well, that is a very good question. But, this depends on what you prefer. You can enjoy full of flavor given off from the shochu with hot water, and enjoy soft flavor with cold water, and enjoy rich flavor on the rock or straight. How to drink shochu depends on the differences of ingredients used for respective shochu. It

06

Product informationProThe Story

of Shochu

Pot distillation

Continuous distillation

Distillation method Atmospheric distillation

Vacuum distillation

A mixture of atmospheric distillation shochu and vacuum distillation shochu has been made.

Indication of “mixed shochu” is required for a shochu which pot distillation shochu is blended with no less than 5% of its volume of continuous distillation shochu, and vice versa.

KusuThe vintage awamori mature and aged for 10 years

Shochuwith hot water

Shochuwith cold water

Koji moldEasily grow on rice or barley

Citric acid

Enzymes that breakdown starch

Enjoy shochuDrinkmoderately

Barley Rice BuckwheatAwamori

Sakecake

Brown

sugar

Sweet

potato

Whiteliquo

r

A couple, Rika and Mikio, come into the liquor store.

R i k a :

Owner:

R i k a :Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

We would l ike to enjoy shochu, but we are confused because there are so many kinds of shochu to choose from. That is because shochu is made from var ious k inds of ingredients. So, to ful ly appreciate shochu, you should begin by learning the differences of ingredients and that of distillation methods. What kinds of ingredients are used for shochu distilling? Some well-known main ingredients are sweet potatoes, barley, r ice, brown sugar, buckwheat and sake cake and furthermore, Japanese chestnuts and “shiso” which is a Japanese aromatic herb like basil often used in Japanese cooking. Each kind of shochu has dist inctive flavor and there are a lot of varieties. Can the flavor of the shochu which is even made from same ingredient vary due to the differences of distillation methods? Yes. There are two distillation methods: (1) pot distillation and (2) continuous distillation. In addition, pot distillation me t hod i s c l a s s i fied i n to a tmospher ic a nd vacuum distillation. The atmospheric distillation shochu has clear distinctive aroma and rich flavor of ingredients, however the vacuum distillation shochu has mild distinctive aroma and light flavor of ingredients. Do the labels on shochu bottles show which distillation method was used? Some of the shochu is produced by blending atmospheric with vacuum distillation shochu; and distilleries are not required to indicate the distillation method on the labels, actually, the indications are not always carried out. Still, you should be able to tell the difference between distinctive characteristics of shochu made from different distillation methods by tasting it. Would you like to try to taste some? Wow! You’re r ight, I can tel l that the shochu made by atmospheric distillation has a rich flavor and shochu made by vacuum distillation tastes light. What is the difference in flavor between pot distillation shochu and continuous distillation shochu? Most of shochu made by pot distillation require only one t ime of d ist i l lat ion. But , shochu made by cont inuous dist i l lat ion is equivalent to dozens of per formances of distillation, so that it tastes light. Hmmm, I am little confused with different shochu served one after another. But, if we summarize what we’ve learned so far, the pot d ist i l lat ion shochu under atmospher ic

R i k a :

Owner:

R i k a :Owner:

Mik io:Owner:

R i k a :

Owner:

is enjoyable to actually try and quest for your own favorite way o f d r i n k i ng , o r to change you r way o f d r i n k i ng according as your own mood on each occasion. You seem to have different impressions even from the same shochu due to the above-mentioned ways of dr inking. It is attractive for you to be able to change the way of drinking shochu among various options available. I see̶shochu is a drink worth experimenting with. What is the proper ratio of shochu to hot water or cold water? The most common ratio of shochu to hot or cold water is 4:6, 5:5, or 6:4. But, I personally like to make shochu a little thinner than above-mentioned rat ios because I think the or iginal flavor of the shochu remains even with the l ight taste and I feel like drinking more and more. But, again, how to drink shochu is entirely up to you and your mood at that day. How should we keep shochu? Shochu is such a spirits which contains only small amount of components and is less changeable in quality. Still, you should keep shochu in a cool, dark place to avoid direct s u n l i g h t . Shochu c a n ge t c l oudy i f you s to r e i t i n a refrigerator. This phenomenon occurs because a certain low temperatu re makes t he o i ly component i n t he shochu insoluble. With a rise in temperature, the cloudiness should disappear and the shochu will become clear again. There is shochu that is originally cloudy. Originally cloudy shochu is usually high in oily components. Cloudy shochu is usually pot dist i l lat ion shochu, and this cloudiness is what makes it interest ing. Pot d ist i l lat ion shochu is usually distilled only once, which leaves relatively st rong or ig inal flavors of ingredients together with high content of oily components. Pot dist i l lat ion shochu tastes r ich due to high content of oily components, however the oily components will cause such stale odor as oily odor due to its oxidation during long time of storage. So, before the technology to remove oily content in shochu was invented, shochu could not be stored so long, that shochu dist il lery shipped it within one year of production date. Recently some shochu distilleries have intentionally started making shochu with high content of oily components. Unlike whisky, newly d i s t i l l e d sho chu c a n b e en j oyed r i g h t away̶ i t ’s a character ist ic of shochu. Unlike whiskey, newly dist i l led shochu can be enjoyed within a few months after distillation, which is one of the merits of shochu. Thank you very much for your lecture regarding shochu. I would l ike to buy several k inds of shochu and taste and evaluate the differences in flavor between them. Please enjoy shopping.

Mik io:

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

pressure has strong distinctive flavor which is derived from respective ingredients, and that under vacuum pressure has mild flavor, and finally continuous distillation shochu has clear light flavor. There is shochu with labeling that reads “otsu-ko konwa shochu.” The continuous distillation shochu is also called “ko-rui shochu”, the pot distillation shochu is also called “otsu-rui shochu.” “Mixed shochu” is a blended product of ko-rui and otsu-rui of shochu. Based on the ratio of the two kinds in the mixture, shochu is called “ko-otsu konwa” or “otsu-ko konwa.” The first term indicates the larger rat io in the mixture. So, the mixture is complicated with the blend of shochu made from atmospheric and vacuum distillation or that of pot distillation and continuous distillation. Yes, the mixtures have plenty of variety. There are also many k inds of ingredients̶this is what makes shochu more interesting.

R i k a :

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

We of ten see shochu indicated “honkaku shochu,” which means “authent ic shochu,” but which category does th is product belong to? Honkaku or authent ic shochu belongs to pot dist i l lat ion shochu. Shochu which fulfill certain requirements are granted to indicate “honkaku shochu” or “awamori.” Although the island of Kyushu is the center of honkaku shochu production in Japan, honkaku shochu is d ist i l led throughout Japan. Awamori is produced primarily in Okinawa prefecture. I see that sweet potato and r ice koji are indicated on the ing red ient s sect ion of t he labe l . Do you use r ice when distilling sweet potato shochu? Yes. It is easier to make koji on r ice than on sweet potato. That is why they usually use rice, sometimes barley even for the distilling of sweet potato shochu. For example, the water content of sweet potato is higher than that of rice, so that it tends to lose it s shape, which inh ibit s koji f rom growing sufficient ly on it , and koji i s unable to produce sufficient enzymes to break down s ta rch. However, some shochu distilleries in Japan have overcome these difficulties of making koji on diced sweet potato and dist i l led shochu, which have d i ff e r e n t fl a v o r s f rom sweet potato s h o c h u d i s t i l l e d using rice koji.

M ik io:Owner:

R i k a :Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

Owner:

Mik io:Owner:R i k a :

Owner:

Mik io:

Owner:

R i k a :

Owner:

Does this mean koji has a large impact on the taste of shochu? Main ingredients or distillation methods have large impacts on the taste of shochu. In contrast, taste of shochu does not rely very much on its koji. Do you use rice koji for barley shochu distilling too? They use rice koji for barley shochu distilling in Ikishima island in Nagasaki prefecture, but use barley koji for barley shochu dist i l l ing in Oita prefecture. Comparing the flavor of shochu made f rom va r ious t y pes o f k o j i i s a f un and i ntere s t i ng experience. There are dist i l led alcoholic beverages such as whisky and brandy other than shochu on the market. How are they different from shochu? The biggest difference is the ingredients used for dist i l l ing these spir its: whisky is made from malt, and brandy is made from fruits. According to the Liquor Tax Law, spirits made from malt (germinated barley) and fruits are not allowed to indicate “shochu.” Therefore, malt shochu and apple shochu cannot be existed. I tend to associate whisky with a long maturat ion. Does pot distillation shochu require a long time for the maturation? Most whisk ies are usual ly matured at least 3 years before shipment to the market. But, as is usually the case with pot distillation shochu, it is shipped within one year. So, shochu is consumed early. Yes, it’s one of the advantages of shochu. Are there any shochu that is stored for a long period of time for maturation or aging? It is a well-known vintage awamori, called “kusu”, which is character ized by a sweet aroma, requires at least 3 years of maturat ion. There are also other v intage products that are matured in barrels or earthenware jars besides kusu, whose fl avor s va r y du r i ng a l o n g p e r i o d o f m a t u r a t i o n t i m e respectively. I have an image t hat whisky is usually served on the rocks with some l ight snacks at a bar in Japan. How i s shochu served and entertained? Whisky usual ly seems t o b e e n j o y e d o n l y before or af ter a meal, h o w e v e r s h o c h u i s actually enjoyed during a mea l . T h i s mer i t i s uncommon, and is a lmost un ique to shochu among spi r it s throughout the world. When I order a bott le of shochu or a g lass of shochu at an izakaya, a casual Japanese gastropub, I am often asked, “How would you like to drink your shochu?” What is the best way to order my shochu at an izakaya? Well, that is a very good question. But, this depends on what you prefer. You can enjoy full of flavor given off from the shochu with hot water, and enjoy soft flavor with cold water, and enjoy rich flavor on the rock or straight. How to drink shochu depends on the differences of ingredients used for respective shochu. It

07

How to enjoy shochuHow

National ResearchInstitute of Brewing　

Website:http//www.nrib.go.jp/English

March 2018

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How to drink

Shochu and food pairingWhich should be poured into a glass first ̶ shochu or hot water?　Recent ly, it is proposed as a method of di lut ing shochu with hot water that hot water is poured into a glass first. That is the reason why th is method makes shochu and hot water mix so we l l t ha t d i lu ted shochu w i t h ho t wate r become t he mos t d r inkable cond it ion. On the other hand, in case of pour ing shochu into a g lass first, there is the advantage of easiness to measure the volume of poured shochu.

Alcohol content and temperature

95°C (203°F)of hot water

Shochu of 25%alcohol content

10％about 60℃(140°F)

15％about 40℃(104°F)

12.5％about 50℃(122°F)

6

4

5

5

4

6

One example that 1mlof 25% alcohol-shochuis included in the mouth

Intraoral alcohol content (%)

The time held inside the mouth (sec)

30

20

10

50 10

Shochu with hot water　As I above-mentioned, the ratio of hot water to shochu is genera l ly 4:6, 5:5, or 6:4. When the temperature o f shochu i s h igh a f te r d i lut ion with hot water, the aroma components are easier to evaporate. This enhances t he a roma of shochu. In addit ion, the amount of a lcohol vapor i zat ion increases and t he stimulatingly sweet aroma of alcohol become sharper.

Shochu with cold water　How to make shochu with cold water is that first ly several pieces of ice are put into a glass, secondly aproper volume of shochu is poured into the glass, thirdly the glass is filled up with water. Finally the diluted shochu with cold water is mixed up w ith mudd ler. The a lcohol content of shochu mixed with water comes to around 10‒15%. The aroma of shochu becomes gentle in shochu with cold water. You’ll enjoy the harmony of mild taste and cold, refreshing exhilaration with a shochu with cold water.

Straight or on the rocks　To f u l l y e n j oy t h e fl avo r o f shochu, drinking it straight or on t h e r o c k s i s r e c omm e n d e d . However, the alcohol content of shochu is so high that caution must be exercised in case of enjoying

　The alcohol content of shochu is usual ly 20 ‒43%. Therefore, shochu is usually diluted with water to enjoy. You can change the or iginal flavor of shochu to your preferred flavor by diluting shochu with hot water, cold water, or fruit juice. The various ways of drinking shochu are the feature of shochu and arrange the pleasure of shochu drinking together with the flavor of shochu.

shochu straight or on the rocks. After you stimulate your senses with the aroma of shochu, you should hold a small portion of shochu (around 1‒2 ml) in your mouth and appreciate the taste by gradually rolling it on your tongue. As the alcohol of shochu is diluted in your mouth, the shochu becomes easy to swallow.

Shochu highball / shochu-based cocktail　 A shochu highball is made by mixing shochu with soda and s e v e r a l p r e f e r r e d n o n - a l c o h o l i c beverages such as juice, and oolong tea. I t i s recommended t hat you m i x pot distillation shochu with a non-alcoholic beverage of relatively rich flavor. There can be a case that the flavor of alcohol i s n o t a l w a y s e a s y t o p e r c e i v e d e p e n d i n g o n t h e n a t u r e o f non - a lcoho l i c beve r age m i xed w i t h shochu, so that caution should be taken not to dr ink the shochu too much, and only after knowing its alcohol content, shochu can be enjoyed.

　Any shochu never has strong flavor except for several ones. Therefore, it is unlikely for you to perceive any conflicting flavors between shochu and food inside your mouth. Actually, shochu can wash off greasy feeling left inside your mouth and refresh your mouth, which helps you appreciate the subtle flavor of your dish.

Sobering up　Some people point out that the favorable experience of sobering up with shochu. Although the authenticity of this experience is not clear, it is generally agreed that drinking appropr iate amount of shochu w ith a mea l avoids the discomfort associated with intoxication. The proper way of drinking shochu may precede the sobering experience.

Shochu tasting　The tast ing (sensor y eva luat ion) method of shochu i s to evaluate color, aroma and flavor, which is the same as other a lcohol ic beverages. Color i s eva luated by both ex tents of t u r b i d i t y a n d c o l o r i n g , a n d a r om a i s e v a l u a t e d b y harmonization of dist inctive aroma derived from ingredients, a nd flavor i s eva luated by bo t h ex tent s o f m i ldne s s and moderate sweetness. Once you are adept at shochu tast ing, please try to evaluate the balance between aroma and flavor.

The Story of Shochu

A variety of shochu with cold water　After shochu and several pieces of ice are poured into a glass, water is gent ly poured into it , so that the por t ion of shochu is buoyed up to the upper layer of the glass. In other words, this layer is occupied with higher content of alcohol than the other layer s of t he g lass . With t h i s method, t he r ich flavor of t he or iginal shochu can be tasted at the beginning of dr inking. As the a lcohol content of the upper layer gradual ly decreases, a modulated way of drinking become possible.

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