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Japan's homegrown spirit, single-distilled from sweet potato, barley, or rice.
Kyushu, Japan, 16th century
Distilling reached Kyushu through southern trade routes by the mid-1500s and sank its deepest roots in Kagoshima, where sweet potato shochu became the everyday answer to sake.
Koji mold converts the starch, a second ferment builds the mash, and honkaku shochu is distilled just once in a pot still so the base ingredient survives intact, whether sweet potato, barley, rice, buckwheat, or brown sugar. Water brings it to a gentle bottling strength.
Imo (sweet potato) runs earthy and floral, mugi (barley) toasty and soft, kome (rice) clean and gently sweet. Drink it neat, on the rocks, or cut with hot water.
Did you know
The word's oldest record is a workman's complaint: graffiti from 1559 on a shrine board in Kagoshima grouses that the head priest never once offered the builders shochu.
Also known as: awamori, sochu, iichiko
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