Shochu that goes with mugicha (barley tea)
Tea and coffee
These are bottles to mix mugicha (barley tea) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.
Best bottles for mugicha (barley tea)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Roasted barley on a bottle whose barley was never roasted, so the same grain arrives a second way
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, rich, clean
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
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.
Mugi shochu
Oolong-hai and green tea highballs are izakaya staples, and barley is clean enough to let the tea lead.
Roasted barley on a bottle whose barley was never roasted, so the same grain arrives a second way
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
Show the other 94 mugicha (barley tea) matches
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, rich, clean
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
Roasted barley tea against a cereal note is the same grain twice, once fermented and once toasted
barley, sweet, clean
barley, clean, sharp
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, rich, crisp
barley, smooth
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, soft, sweet
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, light-bodied
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, fruity, soft
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, umami, aged
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, silky, smooth
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, dry, cask, aged
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, cask, aged
Roasted tea covers perfume
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
Kome shochu
Rice shochu is light enough to let the tea lead, which is how it is drunk with dinner in Kyushu.
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, smooth, aged
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, soft, umami, rich
Show the other 51 mugicha (barley tea) matches
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, clean, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, floral, aged
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Imo shochu
Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
Mugicha softens imo shochu's earth into something you drink all evening
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
Show the other 144 mugicha (barley tea) matches
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, soft, tea
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, aged
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, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
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, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, umami
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, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
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, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
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, crisp
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
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
Oolong and jasmine both belong to the same Chinese-adjacent kitchen awamori grew up in.
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
Unsweetened, cold, and a summer staple in Japan
rice, clean, bright, aged
Roasted barley tea against a cereal note is the same grain twice, once fermented and once toasted
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, clean, sharp, aged
Show the other 94 mugicha (barley tea) matches
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, bright, 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, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, chocolate, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, nutty, dry, aged
Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.
rice, toast, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
Oolong-hai and green tea-hai are this bottle's job. The tea is the drink; the shochu is the proof behind it.
Mugicha softens imo shochu's earth into something you drink all evening
Roasted barley on a bottle whose barley was never roasted, so the same grain arrives a second way
Unsweetened, cold, and a summer staple in Japan
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
corn, savory, sweet, clean
Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.
Kokuto shochu
Tea and coffee meet the molasses in the bottle rather than arguing with it, and the darker the cup the better it holds.
Unsweetened, cold, and a summer staple in Japan
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.
Show the other 15 mugicha (barley tea) matches
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
Soba shochu
Roasted tea and buckwheat are one flavour from two plants. Hojicha and soba-yu are the same instinct.
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
Cold, unsweetened barley tea. Every Japanese fridge has a pitcher in summer. Mix one to three over ice.
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
buckwheat, smooth, aged
buckwheat, smooth