Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Barley tea on barley shochu is the same grain, roasted, twice Unsweetened, cold, and the most summer thing in Japan Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice. Green tea with popped, toasted rice. Cold-brew it.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Two toasted grains Green tea with popped, toasted rice. Cold-brew it. Unsweetened, cold. One part shochu to three or four parts tea, over ice.
Why this works Oolong-hai and green tea highballs are on every izakaya menu, and barley is clean enough to let the tea lead. Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Oolong-hai is the second most common shochu drink in Japanese izakaya Roasted buckwheat, in any Japanese grocery, hot or cold. In a soba restaurant the same serve is made with soba-yu, the starchy water the noodles were boiled in, which is thicker and cannot be bought.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Roasted buckwheat and roasted barley are one idea arrived at from two grains Roasted buckwheat, in any Japanese grocery, hot or cold. In a soba restaurant the same serve is made with soba-yu, the starchy water the noodles were boiled in, which is thicker and cannot be bought. Cold-brewed sencha, unsweetened. The green tea highball is one of the most common ways shochu is actually drunk in Japan.
Why this works Oolong-hai and green tea highballs are on every izakaya menu, and barley is clean enough to let the tea lead. Barley shochu and green tea is on every izakaya menu in Japan Cold-brewed sencha on a clean bottle is quiet and grown-up Cold-brewed. Floral without sugar. The jasmine highball is a real menu item in Japan.
Why this works Jasmine-hai is on izakaya menus next to oolong-hai Perfumed tea on a clean bottle Cold-brewed. Floral without sugar. The jasmine highball is a real menu item in Japan. Oita's citrus, softer than sudachi. Bartenders in Oita mix it with the local barley shochu and soda.
Why this works Kabosu and barley shochu are both Oita's and that is how Oita drinks them; the gentler acid suits a mugi wherever it was distilled Milder than sudachi, so it does not fight a delicate bottle Oita's citrus, softer than sudachi. Bartenders in Oita mix it with the local barley shochu and soda. The shortcut to a sour when there is no fresh lemon. Less sweet is better.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. Lemon sour in one pour Sweet citrus bubbles on a clean bottle 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.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. The shochu highball: ice, shochu, cold soda, nothing else Bubbles on a clean bottle: the simplest refreshing drink on this list A small green citrus from Tokushima, sharper and more herbal than lime. Sold frozen or as juice in Japanese markets.
Why this works Sudachi's green sharpness shows best on a clean bottle Sharper and greener than the lemon a barley sour usually gets, which is what makes it worth the trip from Tokushima A small green citrus from Tokushima, sharper and more herbal than lime. Sold frozen or as juice in Japanese markets. A dry tonic (Fever-Tree, Q). One part spirit, three parts tonic, a citrus wedge.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. Shochu tonic is the drink US bars pour most when they list shochu Clean bottle and tonic is a gin and tonic without the juniper Juiced, or a stalk as the stirrer. Savory, salty and cold.
Why this works Celery on a clean bottle reads as a savory highball Barley shochu and celery is an unlikely, real pair Juiced, or a stalk as the stirrer. Savory, salty and cold. Ribbons or muddled slices. Cucumber is what turns a serious glass into something you drink outside without thinking about it.
Why this works Cucumber and a clean barley highball is the most refreshing thing you can build out of this category. Cucumber on a clean bottle is the most refreshing thing on this list Barley shochu, cucumber, soda: a highball that tastes like a cool room 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.
Why this works Barley has less to open up than sweet potato, so water shows you exactly what is there. That is a fair test and not always a flattering one: a thin mugi has nowhere to hide in it. Rich bottles are built for warmth Mugi oyuwari in winter, with an umeboshi Bruised stalks steeped in the spirit, or a syrup. Citrus without acid, which is useful when you want aroma but not sourness.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. A US barley shochu is literally made with lemongrass; the pairing is proven Lemongrass perfume shows on a clean bottle Green shiso leaves, slapped or muddled gently. Red shiso as a syrup. Japan already makes shiso shochu, which tells you it works.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. Shiso on a clean bottle is the most Japanese drink you can build Shiso and barley shochu is an izakaya sour Soft water, cold, over ice or not. One to one is normal. Mix a day ahead (maewari) and the edges round off.
Why this works Barley has less to open up than sweet potato, so water shows you exactly what is there. That is a fair test and not always a flattering one: a thin mugi has nowhere to hide in it. Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter Six parts shochu to four parts water, the classic Cold brew, unsweetened. For barley, brown-sugar, cask-aged and awamori bottles; it will bury a daiginjo.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Cold brew, unsweetened. For barley, brown-sugar, cask-aged and awamori bottles; it will bury a daiginjo. Cold-brewed or hot. Roasted green tea, low in bitterness, high in toast. The oyuwari of teas.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Cold-brewed or hot. Roasted green tea, low in bitterness, high in toast. The oyuwari of teas. The gentle ginger. For bottles that a ginger beer would bully.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. Barley shochu and ginger ale is an izakaya highball 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.
Why this works Barley shochu and grapefruit is the Kyushu sour after the lemon one 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. 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.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. It was built around neutral shochu, and that is still where it fits best 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.
Why this works Mild enough that a light bottle is still the thing you taste 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. 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.
Why this works The lemon sour is the single most ordered shochu drink in Japan, and barley is what it is usually built on. The lemon sour is Japan's most-ordered shochu drink for a reason 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.
Why this works Sharper and more bitter than a lime, which is what keeps it from disappearing into a light bottle 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. 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.
Why this works A clean bottle gives yuzu a blank page 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. A spoon of the brine, and a slice as garnish. Sweet, sour and hot at once.
Why this works Sweet-sour ginger on a clean bottle Barley shochu and gari brine is a bartender's shortcut to a ginger sour A spoon of the brine, and a slice as garnish. Sweet, sour and hot at once. Bols Genever, around thirty-five dollars. The split base for a grain shochu, in a way plain gin is not.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Malt wine and barley shochu are the same grain distilled two different ways Muddled gently with citrus. Thai basil brings anise, Italian basil brings pepper.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. Basil on a clean bottle reads like a gin smash Dolin dry or Noilly Prat. A quarter of the shochu's volume, stirred cold.
Why this works Two clean, dry things Shochu and dry vermouth is a Japanese martini at half the proof Young sansho leaves, clapped between the palms and floated. Hard to find outside Japanese markets in spring, worth the hunt.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. A single leaf on a clean bottle changes the whole glass Torn leaves steeped briefly. Perfumed citrus without juice.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. Intense citrus perfume on a clean bottle Slapped, not muddled to bits. Mint reads as cold, which makes any low-proof drink feel more refreshing.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. Mint on a clean bottle is a mojito at half the proof Gentler than rosemary. Steep a sprig, or use a thyme syrup.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. Barley shochu and thyme is an unexpected, clean match Good tomato juice, or a ripe tomato muddled and strained. The savour koji leaves behind and the savour in a tomato are the same glutamate.
Why this works Barley shochu and tomato juice is an izakaya standard order Good tomato juice, or a ripe tomato muddled and strained. The savour koji leaves behind and the savour in a tomato are the same glutamate. Umeboshi (salt-pickled), ume syrup, or the fruit's own liqueur. Sour, salty and savory at once.
Why this works Barley shochu with an umeboshi dropped in is a real izakaya order Umeboshi (salt-pickled), ume syrup, or the fruit's own liqueur. Sour, salty and savory at once. Fresh juice, strained. Add a pinch of salt.
Why this works Watermelon and a clean bottle is a summer festival Fresh juice, strained. Add a pinch of salt. Cold-brewed Earl Grey brings bergamot; plain black tea brings tannin. For the aged and brown-sugar bottles.
Why this works Cold-brewed Earl Grey brings bergamot; plain black tea brings tannin. For the aged and brown-sugar bottles. Orange with a raspberry edge. Winter fruit; worth waiting for.
Why this works Orange with a raspberry edge. Winter fruit; worth waiting for. 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.
Why this works 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. 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.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. A plain or ginger kombucha. Acid, bubbles and a little funk, none of which survive a still.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. Eaten whole, peel and all. Muddle a few in a glass; the peel gives bitterness, the flesh gives tartness.
Why this works Eaten whole, peel and all. Muddle a few in a glass; the peel gives bitterness, the flesh gives tartness. Sharper and greener than lemon. The citrus for anything built on brown sugar or tropical fruit.
Why this works Sharper and greener than lemon. The citrus for anything built on brown sugar or tropical fruit. Whisked into a slurry first, never dumped in dry. Bitter, umami and creamy at once.
Why this works Whisked into a slurry first, never dumped in dry. Bitter, umami and creamy at once. Sweet, low-acid Japanese mandarin. Juice it or drop segments in a glass. It needs a squeeze of something sharper alongside.
Why this works Sweet, low-acid Japanese mandarin. Juice it or drop segments in a glass. It needs a squeeze of something sharper alongside. Fresh juice when you want it long and easy; the peel when the bottle is aged and the drink is stirred.
Why this works Fresh juice when you want it long and easy; the peel when the bottle is aged and the drink is stirred. Dry cava or crémant. Acid and bubbles in one pour, which is exactly what a distilled spirit has none of.
Why this works The barley highball is the default shochu drink in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way. A sesame syrup, or a rim of ground sesame and salt. Toasty and rich.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. A sesame syrup, or a rim of ground sesame and salt. Toasty and rich. A bar spoon, no more. Salt, and the savory note that comes with it.
Why this works A clean bottle can take a splash of brine A bar spoon, no more. Salt, and the savory note that comes with it. One salted plum, crushed with a spoon in the glass. Salty, sour, savory.
Why this works One umeboshi in a glass of barley shochu and hot water is the oldest shochu drink there is Dashi-wari and an umeboshi in hot barley shochu are real izakaya orders, but they belong to a winter counter rather than a summer glass. A bar spoon, not an ounce. It is very sweet, and its job here is the almond smell rather than the sugar.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Lustau or González Byass. Fino is salt and living flor; this is what is left after the flor dies, and at 18 percent an ounce lengthens the glass rather than strengthening it.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Coconut water for lengthening, coconut milk or cream for weight.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Mr Black or a good Japanese one. Awamori and shochu makers bottle their own, so this is not a foreign idea imposed on the spirit.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, about twenty dollars. At 11 percent it behaves like a syrup, so it sweetens and thickens without raising the drink.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Fino or manzanilla. Savory, salty, bone dry.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Zuiyo's Kuririn, from Japanese chestnuts at 11 percent, or Dover's wa-shu kuri, which is on a rum base. A dessert direction, and not the same thing as kuri shochu, which is a base spirit.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Blandy's or Barbeito, ten year. It is the one fortified wine that brings real acid, so it can do the lemon's job on a bottle where fresh citrus reads harsh.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Luxardo. Dry rather than sweet despite the name, and a bar spoon changes a stirred drink completely.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Almond syrup with a touch of orange blossom. The tiki sweetener, and kokuto shochu is a tiki spirit waiting to happen.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. Buy the drinking grade from a shop with a liquor licence, not the salted cooking bottle, which will wreck the drink. A bar spoon is enough.
Why this works Grain and roast are the same flavour arrived at twice, once by the still and once by the pan. 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.
Why this works A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction The neutral sweetener. Use when you want to balance acid without adding a flavor.
Why this works A neutral sweetener that does not add flavor of its own Cold-pressed juice or thin slices. Green apple is already in the aroma of a lot of rice shochu, so this amplifies what is there rather than adding something new.
Why this works Barley's light sweetness reads as orchard fruit already, so apple and pear extend the bottle rather than decorate it. Fresh in season, dried the rest of the year. Apricot and umeshu share a family, which is why they get along.
Why this works Fresh in season, dried the rest of the year. Apricot and umeshu share a family, which is why they get along. Cold-brewed chamomile as a lengthener, or steeped in the spirit.
Why this works Chamomile softens barley shochu into an evening drink Fresh in early summer; morello or amarena in syrup otherwise. Dark cherry for aged bottles, bright cherry for sparkling.
Why this works Fresh in early summer; morello or amarena in syrup otherwise. Dark cherry for aged bottles, bright cherry for sparkling. Fronds, gently muddled. For the savory, saline glass.
Why this works A clean barley spirit takes herbs the way vodka does, but with a cereal sweetness underneath that gives them something to sit on. Two slices from any Asian grocery, seeds out. The bitterness is water soluble, so at 25 percent it steeps in minutes and stops there, where a 40 percent spirit pulls it medicinal within the hour.
Why this works Two slices from any Asian grocery, seeds out. The bitterness is water soluble, so at 25 percent it steeps in minutes and stops there, where a 40 percent spirit pulls it medicinal within the hour. Sweeter and rounder than brewing your own matcha, and it dissolves properly, which matcha powder in a cold drink does not.
Why this works A clean bottle lets the tea bitterness read as bitterness rather than mud Diluted one to one with warm water so it mixes cold. A little goes far; taste before adding more.
Why this works Honey and barley shochu in hot water is a Kyushu cold remedy Ripe honeydew, juiced or in cubes. If a bottle says melon on the label, this is the proof.
Why this works Ripe honeydew, juiced or in cubes. If a bottle says melon on the label, this is the proof. Muddled with the seeds. Green, sour and refreshing, and cheap year round.
Why this works Kiwi's tartness shows on a clean bottle Kwai Feh or Dita. Perfumed and quite sweet, so treat it as the aroma and let the shochu stay the drink.
Why this works A clean bottle is the right blank page for something this perfumed Midori, or a drier Japanese one if you can find it. Half an ounce is plenty; this is a flavour, not a base.
Why this works Sweet enough to need a clean base under it Green muscat grapes, halved or juiced. Shine Muscat if you can find it.
Why this works Green muscat grapes, halved or juiced. Shine Muscat if you can find it. A good one (Giffard, Merlet). A shortcut to the bellini when peaches are out of season.
Why this works Barley shochu, peach liqueur, oolong: a Japanese izakaya order Ripe pear, muddled or as nectar. Delicate, so it belongs with delicate bottles.
Why this works Barley's light sweetness reads as orchard fruit already, so apple and pear extend the bottle rather than decorate it. Usually red shiso, so it comes out pink. Sharper and more herbal than it looks, and a little goes a long way.
Why this works The herb needs a quiet base or it just tastes like the herb Sweet, sour, almondy. A splash does the work of both syrup and citrus.
Why this works Barley shochu with a float of umeshu and soda A rice-grain amount, dissolved. For the savory, cucumber glass, not the fruit one.
Why this works A tiny amount on a clean bottle reads as a green, savory heat The bellini fruit. Nectar from a Japanese market, or a ripe peach muddled through a strainer.
Why this works The bellini fruit. Nectar from a Japanese market, or a ripe peach muddled through a strainer. The Korean-style yuzu preserve sold in jars. A spoon in hot water with shochu, or shaken cold.
Why this works Yuzu tea and barley shochu in hot water is a winter izakaya drink Sweet yuzu liqueur, usually on a sake or shochu base. A shortcut to yuzu when the fruit is out of season.
Why this works Barley shochu, yuzushu, soda: a yuzu sour without a yuzu Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.
Why this works This is a light bottle and this is a heavy ingredient. It will not taste bad, it will taste like the ingredient. A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni Barley shochu, gentian, tonic: a bitter highball Bolder than white peach, closer to apricot. For bottles with more weight.
Why this works This is a light bottle and this is a heavy ingredient. It will not taste bad, it will taste like the ingredient. A richer peach for a richer bottle Bolder than white peach, closer to apricot. For bottles with more weight. A small piece steeped in the bottle overnight. Savory depth without salt.
Why this works A small piece steeped in the bottle overnight. Savory depth without salt. 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.
Why this works 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. White miso whisked into a syrup, a small spoon per drink. Salty, sweet and savory at once.
Why this works White miso whisked into a syrup, a small spoon per drink. Salty, sweet and savory at once. 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.
Why this works 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. A dried shiitake steeped in the spirit for a day. Savory and strange in the best way.
Why this works A dried shiitake steeped in the spirit for a day. Savory and strange in the best way. A drop. Think of it as salt with depth, for the savory glass only.
Why this works A drop. Think of it as salt with depth, for the savory glass only. 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.
Why this works 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.