Shochu that goes with amaro
Bitter and aperitivo
These are bottles to mix amaro into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Montenegro, Nonino, Averna. Equal parts with a dark shochu over ice is a whole drink.
Best bottles for amaro
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
kokuto, cask, aged
The bitterness lands on the caramel rather than on the alcohol, which is what makes it read as depth
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Cask and amaro
Funk and bitter root are both acquired flavours and they reinforce each other instead of cancelling
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
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 bitter answers the earth with more earth, amaro and gentian most of all. A split-base imo drink then reads as intentional rather than odd.
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
Show the other 155 amaro matches
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Amaro bullies perfume
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
Funk and bitter root are both acquired flavours and they reinforce each other instead of cancelling
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
Amaro's herbs answer imo shochu's earth
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
Awamori
Aged kusu is intense enough to meet amaro without either one winning.
The bitterness lands on the caramel rather than on the alcohol, which is what makes it read as depth
Funk and bitter root are both acquired flavours and they reinforce each other instead of cancelling
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, pear, caramel, rich
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
Show the other 99 amaro matches
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, citrus, cereal, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, nutty, dry, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
floral, clean, sharp, aged
Kokuto shochu
Brown sugar carries bitterness the way a boulevardier carries whiskey. Amaro and red bitter both land.
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Cask and amaro
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 21 amaro matches
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
Brown sugar and bitter herbs
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
Kome shochu
A light rice spirit can be bullied by amaro. Keep the bitter under a quarter ounce or pick a heavier bottle.
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, aged, cask
Show the other 49 amaro matches
The bitterness lands on the caramel rather than on the alcohol, which is what makes it read as depth
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, rich, bright
Mugi shochu
The bitterness lands on the caramel rather than on the alcohol, which is what makes it read as depth
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, rich, cask, aged
Show the other 16 amaro matches
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, smoky, soft, cask
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, dry, cask, aged
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
Show the other 4 amaro matches
Amaro's herbs answer imo shochu's earth
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
A strong bitter will argue with the botanical rather than support it. Keep it to a dash.
Montenegro, Nonino, Averna. Equal parts with a dark shochu over ice is a whole drink.
Soba shochu
Amaro and aged notes are a winter bar
buckwheat, smooth, aged