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Akarui Nouson

Kirishimacho Joryujo · Kagoshima · Imo (sweet potato)

  • honkaku
  • atmospheric distilled

Pour this first

Ginger beer, tall over ice. Daidai (bitter orange) with it.

The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.

One part shochu to three or four parts mixer, over plenty of ice. If it tastes thin, go two to three next time.

What it tastes like

Imo shochu from Kirishimacho Joryujo in Kagoshima. Importer's tasting notes: pineapple, tropical, funky, sweet. Nobody here has tasted this one, so the profile below is estimated from what its importer publishes rather than from the glass.

  • sweet potato
  • pineapple
  • tropical fruit
  • funky
  • sweet
  • bright
Sweet
Body
Aroma
Fruit
Floral
Grain
Earth
Umami
Distillation
atmospheric distillation
ABV
25%

What to mix with it

Tap a family to narrow it down. Every suggestion carries its reasoning, so if the reasoning does not convince you, ignore the suggestion.

Explore all 85 pairings

  • Daidai (bitter orange)

    Strong match

    Bitter orange: sour and aromatic rather than sweet, the citrus that goes into ponzu. Bottled juice is sold for cooking and works straight in a glass. Use the peel too, it carries most of the smell.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Daidai is the citrus in ponzu, and ponzu is already on the table next to imo shochu

  • Hyuganatsu

    Strong match

    A Miyazaki citrus eaten with the white pith left on, which is sweet rather than bitter. Gentler and more floral than lemon, so it flavours a drink without taking it over.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • A Miyazaki citrus and a Miyazaki spirit, which is usually all the reason a pairing needs

  • Lime

    Strong match

    Sharper and greener than lemon. The citrus for anything built on brown sugar or tropical fruit.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Lime frames tropical fruit so it does not go flat

  • Yuzu

    Strong match

    The Japanese citrus that tastes like grapefruit, mandarin and lemon at once, with a floral peel. A little zest or juice goes a long way.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Kagoshima bartenders reach for yuzu with imo shochu first

  • Passion fruit

    Strong match

    The most useful tropical fruit for mixing: intensely aromatic and properly sour. Pulp with seeds, or a good puree.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • The newer imo shochu are bred for lychee and tropical aromatics, so tropical fruit is agreeing with the bottle rather than fighting it.
    • Tropical acid against sweet-potato depth is a modern Kagoshima cocktail

  • Pineapple

    Strong match

    Fresh juice, or grilled wedges for a smokier drink. The awamori fruit.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • The newer imo shochu are bred for lychee and tropical aromatics, so tropical fruit is agreeing with the bottle rather than fighting it.
    • Amplifies the tropical fruit already there

  • Blood orange

    Strong match

    Orange with a raspberry edge. Winter fruit; worth waiting for.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Kabosu

    Strong match

    Oita's citrus, softer than sudachi. Bartenders in Oita mix it with the local barley shochu and soda.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Lemon

    Strong match

    Fresh juice, never bottled. It is the whole basis of the lemon sour, and the quickest way to put acid into a spirit that has almost none of its own.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Shikuwasa

    Strong match

    Okinawa's own citrus, picked green and sharp, more bitter than lime and more floral than sudachi. Squeezed over awamori and soda it is what the islands actually drink.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Sudachi

    Strong match

    A small green citrus from Tokushima, sharper and more herbal than lime. Sold frozen or as juice in Japanese markets.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Hibiscus

    Strong match

    Cold-brewed hibiscus tea: sour, cranberry-red and floral. Acid and color in one pour.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Tropical flower with tropical fruit
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Grapefruit

    Good match

    Bitter, bright and forgiving. Ruby or white both work; white is drier. The grapefruit sour is a real bar order in Japan, not a novelty.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • On an already sweet bottle it turns to grapefruit candy
    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.

  • Kiwi

    Good match

    Muddled with the seeds. Green, sour and refreshing, and cheap year round.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • The newer imo shochu are bred for lychee and tropical aromatics, so tropical fruit is agreeing with the bottle rather than fighting it.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Kurozu (Kagoshima black vinegar)

    Good match

    Sakamoto's, fermented outdoors in earthenware jars in Fukuyama and aged at least a year; Toiro and Japanese Taste ship it in the US. A teaspoon in a mizuwari is the whole intervention, and a second one is usually a mistake.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Ume (Japanese plum)

    Good match

    Umeboshi (salt-pickled), ume syrup, or the fruit's own liqueur. Sour, salty and savory at once.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Salt-plum and imo shochu in hot water is a Kagoshima winter
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Umezu (ume plum vinegar)

    Good match

    Eden Foods sells it as Ume Plum Vinegar in most US supermarkets, and it is one of the cheapest things on this list. A bar spoon, and unlike a crushed umeboshi it can go into a shaken drink.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Ginger beer

    Good match

    A spicy one, not a sweet one. The mule format works for every dark shochu, and it is the most forgiving way to serve one.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
    • Imo shochu mule: ginger beer, lime, over ice

  • Kombucha

    Good match

    A plain or ginger kombucha. Acid, bubbles and a little funk, none of which survive a still.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
    • Two fermented things

  • Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino)

    Good match

    The shortcut to a sour when there is no fresh lemon. Less sweet is better.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
    • A lemon soda softens imo shochu for the unconvinced

  • Soda water

    Good match

    Cold, and fizzy enough to matter. One part shochu to three or four parts soda; if it tastes thin, go one to two next time.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
    • Daiyame and other new-wave imo shochu are marketed as highballs by the distilleries themselves

  • Tonic water

    Good match

    A dry tonic (Fever-Tree, Q). One part spirit, three parts tonic, a citrus wedge.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
    • Imo shochu and tonic is what Kagoshima distilleries now recommend to first-timers

  • Citric and malic acid solution

    Good match

    Food-grade citric and malic powder from the canning aisle, 10 grams whisked into 100 grams of cold water; two parts citric to one malic is close to lime. Some bartenders find a drink with no juice in it thin, so it is worth trying both ways.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Cranberry

    Good match

    Unsweetened juice. Sharp and a little tannic, useful for cutting sweetness.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Raspberry

    Good match

    Sour enough to be useful. Muddle a handful, or use a good puree.

    • An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
    • There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
    • Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.

  • Ginger ale

    Good match

    The gentle ginger. For bottles that a ginger beer would bully.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.

  • Sparkling wine (brut)

    Good match

    Dry cava or crémant. Acid and bubbles in one pour, which is exactly what a distilled spirit has none of.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.

  • Hot water (oyuwari)

    Good match

    Hot water in the glass first, spirit poured on top so it mixes itself. Around 40C in the glass is the sweet spot. This is not the only way, it is one way.

    • Hot water is the Kagoshima serve and it earns its reputation: heat pulls the earth and the sweetness up out of the glass. Cold water does the opposite and lengthens it without changing its shape.
    • Oyuwari: hot water first, then shochu, six to four. Imo shochu opens up in warmth

  • Oolong tea

    Good match

    Unsweetened, cold. One part shochu to three or four parts tea, over ice.

    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
    • Oolong's toast meets sweet potato's roast

  • Cold water (mizuwari)

    Good match

    Soft water, cold, over ice or not. One to one is normal. Mix a day ahead (maewari) and the edges round off.

    • Hot water is the Kagoshima serve and it earns its reputation: heat pulls the earth and the sweetness up out of the glass. Cold water does the opposite and lengthens it without changing its shape.
    • Maewari: mix imo shochu and water a day ahead and it rounds out

  • Amaro

    Good match

    Montenegro, Nonino, Averna. Equal parts with a dark shochu over ice is a whole drink.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.
    • Amaro's herbs answer imo shochu's earth

  • Aromatic bitters

    Good match

    Angostura or a Japanese aromatic. Two dashes.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.
    • Bitters give imo shochu a stirred-drink shape

  • Cinnamon

    Good match

    A stick in hot water with the spirit, or a light syrup. Winter.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.
    • Cinnamon on sweet potato is a pie

  • Ginger

    Good match

    Fresh juice, a syrup, or a good ginger beer. The spice that makes a low-proof drink feel like it has a backbone.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.
    • Ginger and sweet potato is a Japanese autumn kitchen

  • Sea salt

    Good match

    A pinch in the glass or a half rim. Salt does not make a drink salty in small amounts; it makes it taste more like itself.

    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.
    • A salt rim on an imo shochu drink is a Kagoshima bar trick

  • Togarashi (chili)

    Good match

    A rim of shichimi, or a slice of fresh chili. Heat on fruit, not on rice.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.
    • Chili and tropical fruit is a Mexican fruit stand

  • Umeboshi

    Good match

    One salted plum, crushed with a spoon in the glass. Salty, sour, savory.

    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.
    • Imo shochu, hot water, umeboshi: a Kagoshima winter

  • Black tea (Earl Grey)

    Good match

    Cold-brewed Earl Grey brings bergamot; plain black tea brings tannin. For the aged and brown-sugar bottles.

    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.

  • Jasmine tea

    Good match

    Cold-brewed. Floral without sugar. The jasmine highball is a real menu item in Japan.

    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.

  • Kumquat

    Good match

    Eaten whole, peel and all. Muddle a few in a glass; the peel gives bitterness, the flesh gives tartness.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.

  • Matcha

    Good match

    Whisked into a slurry first, never dumped in dry. Bitter, umami and creamy at once.

    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.

  • Mikan (satsuma)

    Good match

    Sweet, low-acid Japanese mandarin. Juice it or drop segments in a glass. It needs a squeeze of something sharper alongside.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • This bottle brings its own sweetness. More sugar is the most common way a drink built on it goes wrong.
    • Kagoshima bartenders pair imo shochu with mikan when it is in season

  • Hoppy (beer-taste mixer)

    Good match

    Hoppy Beverage Co. has made it in Tokyo since 1948; at 0.8 percent it is legally a soft drink, and it is hard to find outside Japan. Chill the bottle, the shochu and the mug and no ice is needed.

    • The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
    • A loud honkaku bottle argues with the malt rather than sitting in it
    • Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.

  • Amazake (sweet koji rice)

    Good match

    The non-alcoholic koji drink, sweet from rice starch alone. Blend with the spirit and ice; it is a shochu smoothie.

    • Amazake softens imo shochu into a winter dessert
    • Milk and Calpis do soften imo shochu, and that is exactly the point for someone who thinks they dislike it. It is a gateway, not a destination.

  • Calpico (cultured milk)

    Good match

    The concentrate, diluted with soda. Yogurt-sweet and sour. The Calpis sour is a national drink in Japan.

    • Calpis softens imo shochu for people who think they do not like it
    • Milk and Calpis do soften imo shochu, and that is exactly the point for someone who thinks they dislike it. It is a gateway, not a destination.

  • Jasmine

    Good match

    A syrup or a few dried blossoms steeped. See jasmine tea for the long drink.

    • Jasmine against imo shochu's floral side is a real Kagoshima cocktail idea
    • Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.

  • Osmanthus (kinmokusei)

    Good match

    Dried osmanthus flowers steeped, or the syrup. Apricot and honey, and the smell of October in Japan.

    • Kinmokusei blooms when the new imo shochu is released, same season
    • Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.

  • Green tea (sencha)

    Worth trying

    Cold-brewed sencha, unsweetened. The green tea highball is one of the most common ways shochu is actually drunk in Japan.

    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
    • Bitter tea and a sweet bottle argue
    • Green tea softens the earth in imo shochu without hiding it

  • Alpine amaro (Braulio-style)

    Worth trying

    Braulio, made in Bormio from gentian, juniper, peppermint and yarrow, around forty-five dollars. A summer drink on shochu and a winter one on whisky, which is one bottle behaving two ways.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Red aperitivo bitter (Campari-style)

    Worth trying

    Campari, Aperol, or a Japanese bitter like Kina. Shochu is low enough in proof to make an aperitivo you can actually have two of.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Basil

    Worth trying

    Muddled gently with citrus. Thai basil brings anise, Italian basil brings pepper.

    • Thai and Italian basil both love tropical fruit

  • Black pepper

    Worth trying

    A few grinds over the top. Aroma more than heat.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.

  • Blackberry

    Worth trying

    Late summer fruit with a savory edge. For the deeper bottles.

    • Blackberry and imo shochu is a bramble with a Kyushu accent

  • Carciofo amaro (Cynar-style)

    Worth trying

    Cynar, 16.5 percent, which is weaker than the shochu itself, so equal parts lands near 20 percent and the drink stays long. Soda or a grapefruit soda over the top is the producer's own serve.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Cardamom

    Worth trying

    A few crushed pods, or a syrup. Floral, citrusy and warm at once; it bridges fruit and spice.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.

  • Celery bitters

    Worth trying

    Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Coconut

    Worth trying

    Coconut water for lengthening, coconut milk or cream for weight.

    • The newer imo shochu are bred for lychee and tropical aromatics, so tropical fruit is agreeing with the bottle rather than fighting it.

  • Fernet

    Worth trying

    A quarter ounce. Menthol and bitterness, for the darkest bottles.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Gentian (Suze-style)

    Worth trying

    Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Ginger liqueur

    Worth trying

    Domaine de Canton or similar. The mule flavour without the sugar load of a ginger beer, and it works hot as well as cold.

    • Ginger and sweet potato is a winter kitchen pairing before it is a bar one

  • Japanese craft bitters (yuzu, shiso, umami)

    Worth trying

    The Japanese Bitters, five 100ml expressions, sold at Astor Wines in New York. Angostura at nearly 45 percent is a small spike in a 25 percent drink in a way these are not.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Kombu

    Worth trying

    A small piece steeped in the bottle overnight. Savory depth without salt.

    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.

  • Lychee

    Worth trying

    Fresh in early summer, canned in syrup the rest of the year (drain it). The signature aroma of a whole school of imo shochu.

    • The newer imo shochu are bred for lychee and tropical aromatics, so tropical fruit is agreeing with the bottle rather than fighting it.

  • Makrut lime leaf

    Worth trying

    Torn leaves steeped briefly. Perfumed citrus without juice.

    • Lime leaf and tropical fruit are one cuisine

  • Pickled ginger (gari)

    Worth trying

    A spoon of the brine, and a slice as garnish. Sweet, sour and hot at once.

    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.

  • Quinquina aperitif (Cocchi Americano-style)

    Worth trying

    Cocchi Americano: moscato steeped with cinchona bark, gentian and bitter orange. Lillet dropped its quinine in 1985, so only the Americano side of the category still tastes of the bark, and equal parts with a shochu is about 21 percent.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Sansho pepper

    Worth trying

    A pinch of ground sansho over the top, or a few peppercorns steeped. Numbing, citrusy, green.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.

  • Shiitake

    Worth trying

    A dried shiitake steeped in the spirit for a day. Savory and strange in the best way.

    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.

  • Star anise

    Worth trying

    One star, steeped, for the dark bottles.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.

  • Sumomo (Japanese plum) liqueur

    Worth trying

    Dewazakura's from Yamagata plums, or Machida Shuzo's on Amami kokuto shochu. It does umeshu's job and leaves the glass drier, which matters when the bottle is already sweet.

    • Acid and colour at once, and the drink stays drier than it would with umeshu

  • Toasted sesame

    Worth trying

    A sesame syrup, or a rim of ground sesame and salt. Toasty and rich.

    • Umeboshi in hot shochu is a Kagoshima winter, and salt is the fastest way to make an earthy bottle taste like more of itself.

  • Tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate)

    Worth trying

    Jack Rudy's Extra Bitter, made with real cinchona bark, or Small Hand Foods'. Half a teaspoon and soda, set to the bottle in front of you rather than to a tonic maker's idea of a spirit.

    • Amaro and gentian answer the earth with more earth, which is why a split-base imo drink reads as intentional rather than odd.

  • Umeshu

    Worth trying

    Sweet, sour, almondy. A splash does the work of both syrup and citrus.

    • Umeshu rounds imo shochu for a first-timer

  • Yuzu kosho

    Worth trying

    The Kyushu condiment, in a tube in any Japanese grocer: fermented yuzu peel, green chili and salt. A quarter teaspoon stirred into an oyuwari, which is the serve Asahi publishes.

    • Ginger and sweet potato are the same autumn kitchen. Heat gives an earthy bottle a pulse.

  • Hojicha

    Worth trying

    Cold-brewed or hot. Roasted green tea, low in bitterness, high in toast. The oyuwari of teas.

    • This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
    • Hojicha and imo shochu: a roasted pair

  • Mugicha (barley tea)

    Worth trying

    Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.

    • This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
    • Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
    • Mugicha softens imo shochu's earth into something you drink all evening

  • Orange

    Worth trying

    Fresh juice when you want it long and easy; the peel when the bottle is aged and the drink is stirred.

    • Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
    • This bottle brings its own sweetness. More sugar is the most common way a drink built on it goes wrong.

  • Chamomile

    Worth trying

    Cold-brewed chamomile as a lengthener, or steeped in the spirit.

    • Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.

  • Cream

    Worth trying

    Half-and-half or heavy cream, in the after-dinner glass only.

    • Milk and Calpis do soften imo shochu, and that is exactly the point for someone who thinks they dislike it. It is a gateway, not a destination.

  • Egg white

    Worth trying

    One white, dry-shaken. Texture without flavor.

    • Milk and Calpis do soften imo shochu, and that is exactly the point for someone who thinks they dislike it. It is a gateway, not a destination.

  • Elderflower

    Worth trying

    Cordial or the liqueur. Muscat, lychee and honey in one flower.

    • Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.

  • Milk

    Worth trying

    Cold whole milk. Shochu milk-wari is a real order in Kyushu, not a dare.

    • Milk and Calpis do soften imo shochu, and that is exactly the point for someone who thinks they dislike it. It is a gateway, not a destination.

  • Oat milk

    Worth trying

    The dairy-free milk that tastes of cereal, which is why it likes grain spirits.

    • Milk and Calpis do soften imo shochu, and that is exactly the point for someone who thinks they dislike it. It is a gateway, not a destination.

  • Rose

    Worth trying

    A drop of rose water, or a rose syrup. A drop; it takes over.

    • Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.

  • Sakura (cherry blossom)

    Worth trying

    Salt-pickled blossoms (rinsed) or sakura syrup. Floral, faintly almond, a touch of salt.

    • Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.

Ways to serve it

  • On the rocks
  • Mizuwari (with water)

Sweet potato shochu is the one people are told they have to drink with hot water. Hot water is genuinely good, and it is also the hardest first sip to sell. Start it long and cold with soda and a wedge of grapefruit, and come back to the hot water once you like the spirit.

Cocktails other people made

Nobody has published a cocktail written for this exact bottle. These were written for other bottles, so each one says which, and what changes if you pour this instead.

Show 8 more

  • punchdrink.com · Silver Lyan Team, Washington, D.C.

    Shochu Old-Fashioned

    Written for a similar bottle

    Written for Satsuma Kuradashi Genshu Shochu, also a sweet potato shochu. This bottle is lighter, 25% against 37%, so cut the mixer back or it will disappear.

    • 2 1/4 ounces satsuma kuradashi genshu sweet potato shochu
    • 1/3 ounce salted black pepper caramel (see editor's note)
    • 2 dashes ash bitters (see editor's note)
    • 1 dash angostura bitters

    Stirred.

    Full method at punchdrink.com →

  • Just One Cookbook

    Japanese Yuzu Cocktail (Yuzu Chuhai)

    Written for shochu generally

    • ½ cup club soda (soda water)
    • ¼ cup shochu (any brand or type)
    • 1 tbsp homemade simple syrup
    • 1 tsp yuzu juice (extract)
    • ice cubes
    • 1, 2 tsp korean citron tea (yuja cha) (optional)
    • lime (optional; can use lemon)

    Built in the glass, topped with soda.

    Full method at Just One Cookbook →

  • Pickled Plum

    Umeboshi Sour (Pickled Plum Cocktail)

    Written for shochu generally

    • ice cubes
    • 1/4 cup shōchū (such as iichiko)
    • 3/4 cup sparkling water
    • 1 1/2 tablespoon umezu (plum vinegar)
    • 1/2 teaspoon plain rice vinegar
    • 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)
    • 1 large soft umeboshi (japanese pickled plum)
    • 1 shiso leaf, whole or shredded, for garnish (optional)

    Built in the glass.

    Full method at Pickled Plum →

  • Pickled Plum

    Lemon Sour (Japanese)

    Written for shochu generally

    • juice of 1/2 lemon
    • 1/4 cup shōchū (or soju)
    • 1/2 cup soda water
    • 1 tablespoon simple syrup (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
    • ice cubes

    Built in the glass, topped with soda.

    Full method at Pickled Plum →

  • Tokyo Weekender

    Hana Shigure

    Written for Daiyame

    Daiyame is a range rather than one bottle, so the strength and the style vary across it. Treat this as a starting point.

    • daiyame (imo shochu) 30ml
    • aphrodite sakura 15ml
    • bols parfait amour 5ml
    • 1883 maison routin lemon syrup 10ml
    • hinoki bitters 2 dashes
    • narutomaki beet slice to garnish
    • lime peel to garnish
    Full method at Tokyo Weekender →

Bottles like this one

Closest on the flavour profile within the same style family, so the mixers above tend to carry across.

Sources and verification

Filed under imo shochu.