Shochu that goes with shaoxing wine (drinking grade)
Wine, liqueur and spirits
These are bottles to mix shaoxing wine (drinking grade) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Buy the drinking grade from a shop with a liquor licence, not the salted cooking bottle, which will wreck the drink. A bar spoon is enough.
Best bottles for shaoxing wine (drinking grade)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Two savoury ferments, one brewed and one distilled
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, umami
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
rice, floral, aged
rice
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
It does what fino does, pulled toward soy and dried mushroom instead of salt and almond
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.
Two savoury ferments, one brewed and one distilled
rice, soft, umami, rich
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
rice, floral, aged
Show the other 35 shaoxing wine (drinking grade) matches
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, clean
rice, umami, rich
rice, umami, rich, aged
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
Buy the drinking grade from a shop with a liquor licence, not the salted cooking bottle, which will wreck the drink. A bar spoon is enough.
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
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.
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
Two savoury ferments, one brewed and one distilled
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, smooth, maple, umami
Show the other 92 shaoxing wine (drinking grade) matches
It does what fino does, pulled toward soy and dried mushroom instead of salt and almond
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, smooth, soft, clean
Walnut on nut, and at about 15 percent it lengthens as it flavours
Buy the drinking grade from a shop with a liquor licence, not the salted cooking bottle, which will wreck the drink. A bar spoon is enough.
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, toast, sweet
rice, 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, clean, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, soft, aged
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, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, citrus
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, chocolate, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, floral, honey, caramel
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
Mugi shochu
Two savoury ferments, one brewed and one distilled
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
It does what fino does, pulled toward soy and dried mushroom instead of salt and almond
Show the other 79 shaoxing wine (drinking grade) matches
barley, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
Walnut on nut, and at about 15 percent it lengthens as it flavours
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, umami, aged
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, rich, crisp
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth
barley, rich, clean
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, soft, sweet
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, light-bodied
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, fruity, soft
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, cask
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, rich, aged
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, aged
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, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, silky, smooth
barley, clean, sharp
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, dry, cask, aged
barley, umami, savory, clean
Its oxidative depth dulls a bright bottle
Imo shochu
Two savoury ferments, one brewed and one distilled
Soba shochu
Walnut on nut, and at about 15 percent it lengthens as it flavours
Kokuto shochu
Two savoury ferments, one brewed and one distilled