Shochu that goes with hoppy (beer-taste mixer)
Bubbles
These are bottles to mix hoppy (beer-taste mixer) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
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.
Best bottles for hoppy (beer-taste mixer)
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 distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
These bottles already have one strong flavour in them. Soda gives it room instead of competing with it.
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
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
The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
Show the other 155 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
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, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Mugi shochu
The barley highball is one of the most common ways shochu gets drunk in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way.
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, crisp, clean
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
Show the other 61 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
barley, soft, clean
barley, rich, clean
barley, light-bodied
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, clean, sharp
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, rich, crisp
barley, smooth
barley, soft, sweet
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, fruity, soft
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, rich
barley, silky, smooth
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, smoky, soft, cask
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
These bottles already have one strong flavour in them. Soda gives it room instead of competing with it.
citrus, bright, bitter, crisp
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, rice
shiso, red shiso, herbal, floral
Show the other 4 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
shiso, red shiso
barley, herbal, sweet
Awamori
The awamori highball is an easy summer drink and the simplest way into the category.
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rich, smooth, clean, soft
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, light-bodied, sweet
Show the other 55 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, toast, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, smooth
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, cask, aged
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, smooth, soft, clean
Soba shochu
Soba shochu is usually vacuum distilled and light. That's the profile a highball flatters. The soba highball is a standard order in a soba restaurant, not an experiment.
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
buckwheat, smooth
buckwheat, soft
buckwheat, barley, rice
Show the other 4 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
buckwheat, umami
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
buckwheat, smooth, aged
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
Soda and a neutral base is the chuhai, and nothing in the bottle competes with what you put in it.
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
rice, soft, crisp, clean
barley, soft, crisp, clean
corn, savory, sweet, clean
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
One part shochu to five parts Hoppy drinks like a pint with none of beer's body. A 25 percent bottle lands just under 5; the figure follows the bottle, so a 40 percent one is nearer 7
Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
ginger, dry, crisp, citrus
chestnut, soft, sweet
roasted grain, umami, smooth
Show the other 23 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
floral, fruity, sweet, plum
citrus, plum, sweet, yuzu
sweet potato, rich
chestnut, barley, fruity, rich
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet
plum, sweet, citrus
Kome shochu
It was built around neutral shochu, and that is still where it fits best
One part shochu to five parts Hoppy drinks like a pint with none of beer's body. A 25 percent bottle lands just under 5; the figure follows the bottle, so a 40 percent one is nearer 7
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
Show the other 13 hoppy (beer-taste mixer) matches
rice, light-bodied, clean
Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, rich, clean, bright
An aged bottle is the one you would not lengthen with a beer substitute
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
Kokuto shochu
Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
It was built around neutral shochu, and that is still where it fits best
One part shochu to five parts Hoppy drinks like a pint with none of beer's body. A 25 percent bottle lands just under 5; the figure follows the bottle, so a 40 percent one is nearer 7
An aged bottle is the one you would not lengthen with a beer substitute