Shochu that goes with kombucha
Bubbles
These are bottles to mix kombucha into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
A plain or ginger kombucha. Acid, bubbles and a little funk, all three in one pour.
Best bottles for kombucha
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, soft, tea
sweet potato, tea, rich
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.
sweet potato, funky
These bottles already have one strong flavour in them. Soda gives it room instead of competing with it.
sweet potato, tea
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
The awamori highball is an easy summer drink and the simplest way into the category.
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
citrus, bright, bitter, crisp
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
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.
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
Show the other 155 kombucha matches
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
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, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, 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, earthy
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, pear, grassy, 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, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
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, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
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, citrus, floral, sweet
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, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
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, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
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, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Awamori
The awamori highball is an easy summer drink and the simplest way into the category.
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
Show the other 101 kombucha matches
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, smooth
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
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, aged
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, smooth, soft, clean
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.
rice, citrus, crisp
citrus, bright, bitter, crisp
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, rice
shiso, red shiso, herbal, floral
Show the other 4 kombucha matches
tropical fruit, rich
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, barley, rice
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
Show the other 4 kombucha matches
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
buckwheat, smooth, aged
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, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
Show the other 57 kombucha matches
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, crisp, clean
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, rich, crisp
barley, soft, clean
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, smoky, soft, cask
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.
rice, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
barley, soft, crisp, clean
Kome shochu
Acid and bubbles on rice sweetness
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
Show the other 49 kombucha matches
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, rich, bright
rice, smooth, rich
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Tea is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
Two fermented things
Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
Show the other 24 kombucha matches
floral, fruity, sweet, plum
citrus, plum, sweet, yuzu
chestnut, barley, fruity, rich
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, 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