Shochu that goes with cold water (mizuwari)
Water, hot and cold
These are bottles to mix cold water (mizuwari) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Soft water, cold, over ice or not. One to one is normal. Mix a day ahead (maewari) and the edges round off.
Best bottles for cold water (mizuwari)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Hot water is the Kagoshima serve and it earns its reputation: heat pulls the earth and the sweetness up out of the glass. Cold water does the opposite and lengthens it without changing its shape.
Cut with water over ice is a common way to drink awamori in Okinawa. With an aged kusu it's the serve that lets the age show instead of burying it.
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, bright, aged
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
Hot water is the Kagoshima serve and it earns its reputation: heat pulls the earth and the sweetness up out of the glass. Cold water does the opposite and lengthens it without changing its shape.
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
Show the other 155 cold water (mizuwari) matches
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato
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, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
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, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
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, umami, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
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, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
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, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
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, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Awamori
Cut with water over ice is a common way to drink awamori in Okinawa. With an aged kusu it's the serve that lets the age show instead of burying it.
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
Show the other 102 cold water (mizuwari) matches
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rich, smooth, clean, soft
floral, clean, sharp, aged
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
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, toast, sweet
rice, bright, 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, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, 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, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
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, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, floral, honey, caramel
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, nutty, dry, aged
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
Mugi shochu
Barley has less to open up than sweet potato, so water shows you exactly what is there. That is a fair test and not always a flattering one: a thin mugi has nowhere to hide in it.
Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
Show the other 94 cold water (mizuwari) matches
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, rich, clean
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
Mizuwari on a rice base is a dinner drink, not an aperitif
barley, rice, umami
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, sweet, clean
barley, clean, sharp
Six parts shochu to four parts water, the classic
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, smoky, soft, cask
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, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, light-bodied
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, fruity, soft
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, umami, aged
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, bright
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, soft, cask, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, silky, smooth
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, dry, cask, aged
Kome shochu
Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, light-bodied, clean
Show the other 64 cold water (mizuwari) matches
Mizuwari on a rice base is a dinner drink, not an aperitif
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, citrus, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, cask, aged
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Kokuto shochu
Warmth brings the molasses aroma forward. Cold water lengthens without pushing it further, which is the better choice when that aroma is already doing enough.
Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
Show the other 21 cold water (mizuwari) matches
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
kokuto, cask, aged
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
Water dilutes the botanical without adding anything to argue with it. Useful when the bottle is strong enough that soda would only make it louder.
Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
Six parts shochu to four parts water, the classic
Mizuwari on a rice base is a dinner drink, not an aperitif
coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, rice
shiso, red shiso, herbal, floral
Show the other 4 cold water (mizuwari) matches
tropical fruit, rich
shiso, red shiso
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter
rice, soft, crisp, clean
barley, soft, crisp, clean
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
corn, savory, sweet, clean
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Six parts shochu to four parts water, the classic
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
Maewari: mix imo shochu and water a day ahead and it rounds out
chestnut, barley, fruity, rich
Mizuwari shows a clean bottle as it is, just lighter
Soba shochu
Mizuwari on a rice base is a dinner drink, not an aperitif