Shochu

Everyone knows sake (SAH-kay), the famous rice-brewed beverage that’s one of the most famous images of Japan. But another popular drink is shochu, a distilled beverage made from various sources including barley, sweet potatoes and rice. In decades past, shochu was seen as a lower-class drink, but in recent years its image has risen, and now it’s considered quite trendy. Shochu can be drunk straight or on the rocks, but my own favorite way to enjoy it is as chuhai, that is, mixed with soda water and a flavoring like fresh lemon or grapefruit juice, and I keep wondering when restaurants and bars in America will discover this exotic yet highly drinkable Japanese concoction and popularize it. If you’re interested in seeing what this unique beverage tastes like, we’re happy to announce that the amazing traditional Japanese Food Drops series now includes shochu flavored candies. Try them now!

I’m a big fan of the Japanese drink known as shochu. I drink it all the time (bad Japanese pun).