Following the launch of our very first British Shōchūs, our distilling team, Ben & Siobhan, attended an event hosted by Museum of Sake at the WSET School London in London Bridge - "Shōchū: The Spirit of Kagoshima - Bridging Japan and the UK".
Here are 6 quick takeaways to give you a simple introduction to the world of Shōchū:
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History: The first ever record of the word "shōchū"
The first written record of the word "shōchū" was in 1559. This was graffiti left by a carpenter on a rafter at the Koriyama Hachiman Temple Shrine in Isa City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The carpenter complained that he wasn't given shōchū after finishing a roofing job.
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Etymology: Where does the word "shōchū" come from?
Much like the European word Brandy translates to ‘’burned wine’’, the Japanese word shōchū (焼酎) translates to "distilled liquor" or "fiery liquor". It comes from the Chinese word shaojiu (燒酒), which means "burned liquor".
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Base Ingredients: What is shōchū made from?
There are over 50 legally approved base ingredients. However, the most commonly used are sweet potatoes (Imo), barley (Mugi), rice (Kome), brown sugar (Kokuto), and buckwheat (Soba).
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Koji: What is it and how does it affect the flavour?
Koji is magic fungus used across Japanese fermentation, used to produce the various enzymes required for fermentation and umami flavour generation.
White koji mould creates a light type, whereas, black koji mould produces a shōchū with a fuller flavour. Yellow koji mould adds fruitiness to the flavour. -
Drinking: How do you drink shōchū?
Shōchū can be traditionally drunk straight up, with soda or diluted with water. It can be drunk hot or cold, depending on the type of shōchū. It can also be used as an ingredient in cocktails, lending an umami savoury note.
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Is shōchū becoming popular in the UK?
Yes! It's still very new but shōchū's starting to show up on cocktail menus in high end bars across London and the UK, including Mr Lyan's new Seed Library in Shoreditch. 58 and CO has also just released the UK's first traditionally-made British Shōchū, made using repurposed byproduct from sake production at the UK's first sake brewery, KANPAI.