Shōchū is a traditional Japanese beverage containing roughly 25% alcohol by volume. Shōchū is today produced all over the country, but its traditional home is Kyūshū, the third-largest island of Japan.
Shōchū is usually made from barley, rice or sweet potato. Shōchū is made from Barley is generally considered “easier” to drink than Shōchū made from rice. Barley Shōchū is sometimes left to age in casks which makes it develop a sharper taste and become fairly similar to single-malt whiskey.
Shōchū is made from rice has a “thicker” taste and is typically produced in regions that also makes Nihonshu, such as Akita and Niigata. The region Hitoyoshi-bonchi produces a famous rice shōchū known as Kuma shōchū.
Sweet potato Shōchū was earlier produced chiefly in the prefectures of Kagoshima and Miyazaki, but is today produced all over the country. Sweet potato Shōchū tastes a bit similar to almonds.
The exact origin of Shōchū remains shielded in mystery, but Japanese historical records indicate that it has been produced since at least the 1500s. Throughout the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), Shōchū was produced using a single round of distillation. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), machines capable of carrying out repeated distillation were imported from Great Britain. To distinguish between single distilled Shōchū and Shōchū that had undergone repeated distillations, the two drinks were referred to as old-style shōchū and new-style shōchū.
