Shochu that goes with hon-mirin
Wine, liqueur and spirits
These are bottles to mix hon-mirin into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Mikawa Mirin from Sumiya Bunjiro Shoten, made from glutinous rice, koji and shochu since 1911 with no added sugar. Not the sweetened seasoning sold as mirin-fu chomiryo, which is a different product.
Best bottles for hon-mirin
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
The same rice and the same koji as the bottle, so it sweetens without bringing a foreign flavour
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, ginjo-like
Sweet and savoury at once is what mirin is for in a kitchen, and the glass is no different
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, umami, rich
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, 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.
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.
The same rice and the same koji as the bottle, so it sweetens without bringing a foreign flavour
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
Show the other 64 hon-mirin matches
The bottle already smells of rice, and this puts more of it in the glass.
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
Its sweetness dulls the edge a dry bottle is bought for
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.
Sweet and savoury at once is what mirin is for in a kitchen, and the glass is no different
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
rice, smooth, soft, clean
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
Show the other 102 hon-mirin matches
The bottle already smells of rice, and this puts more of it in the glass.
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
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, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, light-bodied, 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, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
Mikawa Mirin from Sumiya Bunjiro Shoten, made from glutinous rice, koji and shochu since 1911 with no added sugar. Not the sweetened seasoning sold as mirin-fu chomiryo, which is a different product.
floral, clean, sharp, aged
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
Its sweetness dulls the edge a dry bottle is bought for
Mugi shochu
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
barley, rice, umami
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
Show the other 9 hon-mirin matches
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, citrus, melon, banana
Sweet and savoury at once is what mirin is for in a kitchen, and the glass is no different
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, banana, berry, bread
Imo shochu
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
The same rice and the same koji as the bottle, so it sweetens without bringing a foreign flavour
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
Show the other 6 hon-mirin matches
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
Soba shochu
The bottle already smells of rice, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Sweet and savoury at once is what mirin is for in a kitchen, and the glass is no different
It adds body and savour where a sugar syrup would only add sugar
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
The bottle already smells of rice, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Sweet and savoury at once is what mirin is for in a kitchen, and the glass is no different
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
The bottle already smells of rice, and this puts more of it in the glass.