Shochu that goes with soy milk (tonyu)
Cream and milk
These are bottles to mix soy milk (tonyu) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Unsweetened, four parts shochu to six parts soy milk, which is how the Japanese recipes write it. Stronger than it tastes, so pour it knowing that.
Best bottles for soy milk (tonyu)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Body and a bean sweetness without dairy fat, so the bottle stays legible
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
Soy and sesame are chasing the same flavour, and the drink lands on kinako
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
Bean sweetness and brown sugar land on the same note
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
kokuto
kokuto
kokuto, aged
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
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.
Kokuto shochu
Molasses and dairy is dessert. Kokuto shochu with milk is an ordinary Amami one, and cream makes it a flip.
Body and a bean sweetness without dairy fat, so the bottle stays legible
Bean sweetness and brown sugar land on the same note
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
Show the other 21 soy milk (tonyu) matches
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, cask, aged
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
Imo shochu
Dairy softens imo shochu, and for somebody who thinks they dislike it that is exactly the point. Milk or Calpis is the usual route in.
Body and a bean sweetness without dairy fat, so the bottle stays legible
Unsweetened, four parts shochu to six parts soy milk, which is how the Japanese recipes write it. Stronger than it tastes, so pour it knowing that.
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
Show the other 137 soy milk (tonyu) matches
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
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, sweet
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, aged
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, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
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, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Awamori
Dairy softens awamori rather than fighting it, which is why the cut is an ordinary order in Okinawa.
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
Body and a bean sweetness without dairy fat, so the bottle stays legible
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
Show the other 97 soy milk (tonyu) matches
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, cask, aged
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
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, roasted grain, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, chocolate, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, floral, honey, caramel
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, smooth, soft, clean
Mugi shochu
The Calpis sour is a familiar order in Japan, usually on a neutral shochu, and a clean mugi slots in without fuss. Cream is a different and much narrower idea.
Soy and sesame are chasing the same flavour, and the drink lands on kinako
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
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, aged
Show the other 19 soy milk (tonyu) matches
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, light-bodied
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
Body and a bean sweetness without dairy fat, so the bottle stays legible
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
Unsweetened, four parts shochu to six parts soy milk, which is how the Japanese recipes write it. Stronger than it tastes, so pour it knowing that.
Kome shochu
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
rice, smooth, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, soft, umami, rich
Show the other 8 soy milk (tonyu) matches
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
Soba shochu
Body and a bean sweetness without dairy fat, so the bottle stays legible
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
buckwheat, smooth
buckwheat, barley, rice
Show the other 3 soy milk (tonyu) matches
buckwheat, sweet
buckwheat, cask, aged
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
Works for the sweet and nutty bottles, sesame especially. Not for the sharp herbal ones.
Soy and sesame are chasing the same flavour, and the drink lands on kinako
coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, rice
tropical fruit, rich
shiso, red shiso