Shochu that goes with citric and malic acid solution
Wine, liqueur and spirits
These are bottles to mix citric and malic acid solution into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
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.
Best bottles for citric and malic acid solution
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
rice, floral, ginjo-like, clean
floral, clean, sharp, aged
Half an ounce of lemon juice paints over a peach note; this does not
Sourness with nothing attached to it, so the bottle's own perfume stays in front
With no juice in the glass a light bottle can end up tasting thin; a fuller one carries it
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, umami
Grouped by what the shochu is made from, because that is the level the reasoning works at: what this does to an imo shochu is a fact about imo shochu rather than about one bottle. Within each style the strongest matches come first, and bottles we pour are marked rather than promoted. The scores are the same engine that recommends a mixer from a bottle, run the other way round, but the labels are not: a bottle page badges at most twelve strong matches and at most three per family, so that the twelve describe that bottle rather than the same citrus and soda every time. Here there is no cap, so a pairing badged strong on this page can read as a good match on the bottle's own.
Imo shochu
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
Half an ounce of lemon juice paints over a peach note; this does not
Show the other 94 citric and malic acid solution matches
Sourness with nothing attached to it, so the bottle's own perfume stays in front
With no juice in the glass a light bottle can end up tasting thin; a fuller one carries it
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
The sweetness here is aroma rather than sugar, because sugar does not come over a still. Acid is what keeps the impression from turning cloying.
The most fragile aromas are the ones a juice takes away first
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
Awamori
Awamori has enough character to be the base of a cocktail, not the neutral part of one. So an orange liqueur or a mezcal sits beside it instead of covering it.
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rice, nutty, dry, aged
Show the other 101 citric and malic acid solution matches
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, soft, clean, aged
Sourness with nothing attached to it, so the bottle's own perfume stays in front
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, smooth, soft, clean
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.
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, cask, aged
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, toast, sweet
rice, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, citrus, cereal, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, aged
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, citrus
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, chocolate, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
With no juice in the glass a light bottle can end up tasting thin; a fuller one carries it
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
Kome shochu
Rice shochu stirred with vermouth is a martini with koji where the juniper was. The strength depends on the bottle, not on the swap. Most shochu is 25 and lands well under a gin martini. The 40 percent bottles land beside one.
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
The sweetness here is aroma rather than sugar, because sugar does not come over a still. Acid is what keeps the impression from turning cloying.
Sourness with nothing attached to it, so the bottle's own perfume stays in front
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
Show the other 57 citric and malic acid solution matches
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, clean, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, clean
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.
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, ginjo-like
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, fruity
rice, citrus, aged
rice, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, cask, aged
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
With no juice in the glass a light bottle can end up tasting thin; a fuller one carries it
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
Mugi shochu
Half an ounce of lemon juice paints over a peach note; this does not
The sweetness here is aroma rather than sugar, because sugar does not come over a still. Acid is what keeps the impression from turning cloying.
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
barley, crisp, clean
barley, soft, clean
Show the other 8 citric and malic acid solution matches
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, sweet, clean
barley, clean, sharp
Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.
Soba shochu
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
buckwheat, smooth, aged
buckwheat, smooth
buckwheat, soft
buckwheat, barley, rice
Show the other 3 citric and malic acid solution matches
buckwheat, sweet
buckwheat, cask, aged
Kokuto shochu
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
The sweetness here is aroma rather than sugar, because sugar does not come over a still. Acid is what keeps the impression from turning cloying.
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 1 citric and malic acid solution matches
With no juice in the glass a light bottle can end up tasting thin; a fuller one carries it
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
Sourness with nothing attached to it, so the bottle's own perfume stays in front
Half an ounce of lemon juice paints over a peach note; this does not
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
A clean bottle has nowhere to hide, so acid reads as brightness rather than as a correction
rice, soft, crisp, clean
barley, soft, crisp, clean
corn, savory, sweet, clean
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Sourness with nothing attached to it, so the bottle's own perfume stays in front
floral, fruity, sweet, plum
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet