Shochu that goes with tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate)
Bitter and aperitivo
These are bottles to mix tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Jack Rudy's Extra Bitter, made with real cinchona bark, or Small Hand Foods'. Half a teaspoon and soda, set to the bottle in front of you rather than to a tonic maker's idea of a spirit.
Best bottles for tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Bottled tonic's sugar is set for a 40 percent spirit, which is why shochu tonics can taste like lemonade
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
You set the quinine and the sugar separately, so a dry bottle can have the bitterness without the sweetness
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
You set the sugar yourself, which makes it the easiest way to a bitter highball that's genuinely dry
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
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.
Awamori
Aged kusu is intense enough to meet amaro without either one winning.
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
You set the sugar yourself, which makes it the easiest way to a bitter highball that's genuinely dry
Show the other 100 tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate) matches
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
Bottled tonic's sugar is set for a 40 percent spirit, which is why shochu tonics can taste like lemonade
You set the quinine and the sugar separately, so a dry bottle can have the bitterness without the sweetness
rice, citrus
floral, clean, sharp, aged
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
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, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, 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, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, chocolate, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, smooth, soft, clean
Jack Rudy's Extra Bitter, made with real cinchona bark, or Small Hand Foods'. Half a teaspoon and soda, set to the bottle in front of you rather than to a tonic maker's idea of a spirit.
rice, toast, sweet
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
Imo shochu
A bitter answers the earth with more earth, amaro and gentian most of all. A split-base imo drink then reads as intentional rather than odd.
Bottled tonic's sugar is set for a 40 percent spirit, which is why shochu tonics can taste like lemonade
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
You set the sugar yourself, which makes it the easiest way to a bitter highball that's genuinely dry
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
Show the other 125 tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate) matches
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
You set the quinine and the sugar separately, so a dry bottle can have the bitterness without the sweetness
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
Jack Rudy's Extra Bitter, made with real cinchona bark, or Small Hand Foods'. Half a teaspoon and soda, set to the bottle in front of you rather than to a tonic maker's idea of a spirit.
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato
This mixer is sweetened too, so it lengthens the drink without cutting the sweetness that is already there.
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
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, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Kome shochu
A light rice spirit can be bullied by amaro. Keep the bitter under a quarter ounce or pick a heavier bottle.
Bottled tonic's sugar is set for a 40 percent spirit, which is why shochu tonics can taste like lemonade
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
You set the sugar yourself, which makes it the easiest way to a bitter highball that's genuinely dry
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
Show the other 57 tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate) matches
rice, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
Jack Rudy's Extra Bitter, made with real cinchona bark, or Small Hand Foods'. Half a teaspoon and soda, set to the bottle in front of you rather than to a tonic maker's idea of a spirit.
rice, ginjo-like
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, fruity
rice, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, clean, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, rich, bright
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
You set the quinine and the sugar separately, so a dry bottle can have the bitterness without the sweetness
funky, crisp, dry
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Citrus is in this bottle itself, not just on its nose, so this adds more of the same rather than a second flavour.
Bottled tonic's sugar is set for a 40 percent spirit, which is why shochu tonics can taste like lemonade
Show the other 4 tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate) matches
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
smooth, rich, full-bodied, sweet
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
A strong bitter will argue with the botanical rather than support it. Keep it to a dash.
Citrus is in this bottle itself, not just on its nose, so this adds more of the same rather than a second flavour.
citrus, bright, bitter, crisp
Jack Rudy's Extra Bitter, made with real cinchona bark, or Small Hand Foods'. Half a teaspoon and soda, set to the bottle in front of you rather than to a tonic maker's idea of a spirit.
shiso, red shiso
Show the other 1 tonic syrup (cinchona concentrate) matches
Mugi shochu
You set the quinine and the sugar separately, so a dry bottle can have the bitterness without the sweetness
You set the sugar yourself, which makes it the easiest way to a bitter highball that's genuinely dry
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
Kokuto shochu
Brown sugar carries bitterness the way a boulevardier carries whiskey. Amaro and red bitter both land.
A brown sugar bottle, a sweetened syrup and soda is sugar on sugar