Shochu that goes with tonic water
Bubbles
These are bottles to mix tonic water into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
A dry tonic (Fever-Tree, Q). One part spirit, three parts tonic, a citrus wedge.
Best bottles for tonic water
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
These bottles already have one strong flavour in them. Soda gives it room instead of competing with it.
rice, citrus, crisp
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
Soba shochu is usually vacuum distilled and light. That's the profile a highball flatters. The soba highball is a standard order in a soba restaurant, not an experiment.
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
The distilleries themselves now sell imo shochu as a highball. Soda lifts the aroma off the glass instead of burying it.
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
Show the other 155 tonic water matches
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Mugi shochu
The barley highball is one of the most common ways shochu gets drunk in Japan. Clean spirit, cold soda, nothing in the way.
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, crisp, clean
Show the other 94 tonic water matches
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, sweet, clean
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, rich, crisp
barley, smooth
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, smoky, soft, cask
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, dry, cask, aged
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
Awamori
The awamori highball is an easy summer drink and the simplest way into the category.
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, clean, sweet
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
Show the other 100 tonic water matches
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, smooth
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, citrus, cereal, aged
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, smooth, soft, clean
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, aged
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, soft, aged
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
These bottles already have one strong flavour in them. Soda gives it room instead of competing with it.
citrus, bright, bitter, crisp
rice, citrus, crisp
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
shiso, red shiso, herbal, floral
Show the other 4 tonic water matches
tropical fruit, rich
coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, rice
Soba shochu
Soba shochu is usually vacuum distilled and light. That's the profile a highball flatters. The soba highball is a standard order in a soba restaurant, not an experiment.
buckwheat, barley, rice
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
Show the other 4 tonic water matches
buckwheat, umami
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
buckwheat, smooth, aged
Kome shochu
Tonic's quinine lets floral bottles show
Shochu tonic: bitter and sweet at once, and better than it sounds
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
Clean bottle and tonic is a gin and tonic without the juniper
Tonic's sweetness fights aged notes
Show the other 52 tonic water matches
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, rich, bright
rice, smooth, rich
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
Soda and a neutral base is the chuhai, and nothing in the bottle competes with what you put in it.
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
rice, soft, crisp, clean
barley, soft, crisp, clean
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Shochu tonic is the drink US bars pour most when they list shochu
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
Tonic's quinine lets floral bottles show
Imo shochu and tonic is what Kagoshima distilleries now recommend to first-timers
chestnut, barley, fruity, rich
Show the other 26 tonic water matches
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet
Clean bottle and tonic is a gin and tonic without the juniper
Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
chestnut, soft, sweet
roasted grain, umami, smooth
funky, crisp, dry
Tonic's sweetness fights aged notes
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
Kokuto shochu
Carbonation carries aroma up out of the glass, so a highball shows an aromatic bottle off rather than diluting the point of it.
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet