Blanco tequila
A different drink
There is no agave here and there is no substitute for agave. What an atmospheric imo shares with a blanco is the register: vegetal, earthy, a little sulphurous, a base that refuses to sit quietly.
The strength problem
Tequila recipes assume 40 percent, and imo is very often 25. A margarita is shaken and strong, so this route wants the higher strength bottles. A paloma is long, so it doesn't.
Atmospheric distilled imo shochu
A different drink
Why it works
- Atmospheric distillation carries the heavy aromatics over instead of leaving them behind. That's why an imo made this way tastes of the potato. It can hold a place built for a spirit that tastes of the plant.
- A paloma or a highball with grapefruit and salt is built to be met halfway by the base, and an imo meets it. This is the swap that works best where citrus and salt are already in the glass.
What changes in the glass
- Agave sweetness is absent, and in a margarita that sweetness is doing structural work, so the drink will need rebalancing rather than just repouring.
- Sweet potato is not agave and the drink will announce that. This is offered as a different drink worth making, not as a tequila the guest will not notice.
Bottles that qualify59
Tomino Hozan Imo ShochuTasted at JurakuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), GrapefruitSatsuma Kuradashi Genshu ShochuTasted at JurakuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), Passion fruitAka Maoh Shochu Red Satan 12Imo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Hot water (oyuwari), Passion fruitAkaeImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, CinnamonAkarui NousonImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Kombucha, GrapefruitAkarui Nouson Akaimo Jikomi Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), PineappleArawaza SakurajimaImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), CinnamonBeni-IkkoImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, Passion fruitChiho no KuraImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Hot water (oyuwari), Passion fruitChiran BukeyashikiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Jasmine tea, LimeChiran Tea ChuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Kombucha, GrapefruitColorfulImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitCrioImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitDaichi no KaamiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitGoroImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, CinnamonHanadoriImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, CinnamonHinamusumeImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, Passion fruitHinamusume 25 degreesImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitHinamusume Aged in KameImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, CinnamonHinamusume Black KojiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitHinamusume UnfilteredImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitHouzan Josen Tama AkaneImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Oolong tea, CinnamonImosei TakachihoImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitIsadaisen (white koji)Imo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitIsadaisen BLACK (black koji)Imo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), GrapefruitJikuya BlackImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitKagemusha Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · OitaStart with Soda water, KiwiKiccho HouzanImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, CinnamonKiroku 'Memory' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, GrapefruitKodama Toji Junpei Beni Imo Crimson Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitKomasa Kurano Shikon Pink ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, LemonKozuru Kuro Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Kombucha, GrapefruitKuro Isanishiki Sweet Potato Shochu 900mlImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), Passion fruitKuro YokaichiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Hot water (oyuwari), CinnamonKurokameImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), CinnamonMahokoImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Hot water (oyuwari), CinnamonManzenImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitNakamuraImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitNakamura Gyokuro ShiroImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitNami Hana BANZAI Strength Black and WhiteImo (sweet potato)Start with Soda water, GrapefruitNami Hana Diamond Head ProofImo (sweet potato)Start with Ginger beer, GrapefruitNaruto Kintoki Sato MusumeImo (sweet potato) · TokushimaStart with Soda water, Passion fruitNasakeshima ImoImo (sweet potato) · TokyoStart with Soda water, Passion fruitNatsu no Mannen 'Summer Penguin' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Jasmine tea, Passion fruitNouka no Yome Murasaki Yaki Imo Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, GrapefruitNouka no Yome Yaki Imo Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), GrapefruitOuka 'Song of Praise' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Jasmine tea, LimeSatsuma GodaiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Hot water (oyuwari), GrapefruitSatsuma HozanImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, Passion fruitSatsuma Kuro GodaiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, LemonSG Shochu IMOImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Jasmine tea, GrapefruitSilver StarImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, GrapefruitTenshi No Yuwaku Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, GrapefruitToji JunpeiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Hot water (oyuwari), Passion fruitTsurushiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, Passion fruitWatanabe Distillery 'Yuki no Mannen - Winter Penguin' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Jasmine tea, Passion fruitWatanabe Shochu Bros 'Imo' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, GrapefruitYamaneko "Wild Cat"Imo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, Passion fruitYamatozakura Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, Passion fruit
Sources
A substitution is our judgement, not a fact, and you are invited to disagree with it. The citations below are for the facts it rests on.