Shochu that goes with shikuwasa

Citrus

Okinawa's own citrus, picked green and sharp, more bitter than lime and more floral than sudachi. Squeezed over awamori and soda it is what the islands actually drink.

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 and anything poured at our bar come first. The ranking is the same engine that recommends a mixer from a bottle, run the other way round.

Imo shochu

Citrus acid is what cuts sweet potato's weight, which is why Kagoshima bars pour imo shochu with grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.

Kaikouzu Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, Yuzu Kozuru Kuro Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, Yuzu Kozuru Kuro Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KumamotoStart with Ginger beer, Yuzu Satoh KuroImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, Yuzu Kagemusha Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · OitaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), Yuzu Kiccho HouzanImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, Yuzu

57 more, all of them in Imo shochu

Kokuto shochu

Cane sugar spirit and lime is the daiquiri, and kokuto shochu is a cane spirit at two thirds the proof.

Jougo ShochuKokuto (brown sugar) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, Shikuwasa Nankai Gold ShochuPouredKokuto (brown sugar) · Kagoshima (Amami Oshima)Start with Ginger beer, Lime Nankai Kokuto ShochuKokuto (brown sugar)Start with Jasmine tea, Cardamom SelephantKokuto (brown sugar) · KagoshimaStart with Jasmine tea, Cardamom Amami Kokuto ShochuPouredKokuto (brown sugar) · Kagoshima (Amami)Start with Ginger beer, Pineapple KanaKokuto (brown sugar) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, Cinnamon

6 more, all of them in Kokuto shochu

Awamori

Black koji leaves citric acid in the mash, so awamori already leans citrus before anything is added.

Seifuku Vintage AwamoriPouredAwamori · Okinawa (Ishigaki)Start with Ginger ale, Blood orange Zuisen "Hakuryu" Kusu AwamoriAwamori · OkinawaStart with Ginger beer, Yuzu Zuisen Hiryu AwamoriPouredAwamori · Okinawa (Naha)Start with Ginger ale, Blood orange Seifuku Coffee LiqueurPouredAwamori · Okinawa (Ishigaki)Start with Ginger ale, Lemon Kumejima's KumesenPouredAwamori · Okinawa (Kumejima)Start with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), Kabosu Ryukyu Ohcho AwamoriPouredAwamori · Okinawa (Miyakojima)Start with Soda water, Yuzu

28 more, all of them in Awamori

Mugi shochu

The lemon sour is the single most ordered shochu drink in Japan, and barley is what it is usually built on.

Kirishima Melt Barley 720mlMugi (barley) · MiyazakiStart with Mugicha (barley tea), Coffee (cold brew)Ginza No Suzume Tokkuri ShochuMugi (barley) · OitaStart with Mugicha (barley tea), Genmaicha Ginza Suzume Barley ShochuMugi (barley) · OitaStart with Mugicha (barley tea), Genmaicha iichiko SeirinMugi (barley) · OitaStart with Jasmine tea, Green tea (sencha)Nikaido Oita Mugi ShochuPouredMugi (barley) · Oita (Hiji)Start with Jasmine tea, Green tea (sencha)Yanagita Koma Barley ShochuPouredMugi (barley) · Miyazaki (Miyakonojo)Start with Jasmine tea, Green tea (sencha)

46 more, all of them in Mugi shochu

Kome shochu

Rice sweetness wants acid the way sake does, and yuzu over rice is the oldest flavour pairing in the Japanese kitchen.

Toyonaga "Okukuma"Kome (rice) · KumamotoStart with Oolong tea, Lemon Dassai ShochuPouredKome (rice) · YamaguchiStart with Tonic water, Yuzu Kiuchi Rice Shochu ClassicPouredKome (rice) · IbarakiStart with Oolong tea, Black tea (Earl Grey)Kiuchi Rice Shochu GinkaPouredKome (rice) · IbarakiStart with Jasmine tea, Yuzu

30 more, all of them in Kome shochu

Shiso, sesame, tea and other single-botanical shochu

Acid frames a single strong flavour and keeps it from turning syrupy.

Awano Kaori Sudachi ShochuPouredShochu · TokushimaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), Yuzu Beniotome Sesame ShochuPouredSesame shochu · Fukuoka (Kurume)Start with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), Kabosu Gyokuro Excellent Green ShochuPouredShochu · FukuokaStart with Kombucha, Pickled ginger (gari)Rihei Ginger ShochuPouredShochu · MiyazakiStart with Ginger ale, Grapefruit Tantakatan Shiso ShochuPouredShiso shochu · Hokkaido (Asahikawa)Start with Tonic water, Blood orange

23 more, all of them in Shiso, sesame, tea and other single-botanical shochu

Soba shochu

Buckwheat is nutty and low in acid, so citrus is doing structural work rather than adding a flavour.

Towari Soba ShochuPouredSoba (buckwheat) · KyotoStart with Ginger beer, Toasted sesame

1 more, all of them in Soba shochu