Shochu that goes with celery bitters
Bitter and aperitivo
These are bottles to mix celery bitters into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.
Best bottles for celery bitters
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
Alcohol suppresses savoury perception, so at 25 percent these notes stay audible
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, smooth, clean, 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.
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, smooth
Show the other 151 celery bitters matches
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
It makes a savoury bottle taste more savoury rather than covering it
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
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, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
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, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
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, crisp
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
Awamori
Aged kusu is intense enough to meet amaro without either one winning.
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
Alcohol suppresses savoury perception, so at 25 percent these notes stay audible
rice, smooth, maple, umami
Show the other 100 celery bitters matches
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
It makes a savoury bottle taste more savoury rather than covering it
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, cask, aged
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, 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, soft, clean, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
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
rice, nutty, dry, aged
Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, 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.
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
Show the other 54 celery bitters matches
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, smooth, rich
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
Kokuto shochu
Brown sugar carries bitterness the way a boulevardier carries whiskey. Amaro and red bitter both land.
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 20 celery bitters matches
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
Mugi shochu
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
It makes a savoury bottle taste more savoury rather than covering it
Alcohol suppresses savoury perception, so at 25 percent these notes stay audible
barley, umami, light-bodied
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
Show the other 2 celery bitters matches
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, umami, savory, clean
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
A strong bitter will argue with the botanical rather than support it. Keep it to a dash.
Scrappy's leads with the seed, Fee Brothers has garlic and ginger behind it, The Bitter Truth reads more astringent than bitter. Two dashes.
tropical fruit, rich
Show the other 1 celery bitters matches
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on
roasted grain, umami, smooth
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
smooth, rich, full-bodied, sweet
smooth, rich, cask, aged
Soba shochu
Alcohol suppresses savoury perception, so at 25 percent these notes stay audible
Celery seed and salt make a savoury note louder, and a bottle described as having umami has one to work on