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 is a route that wants the higher strength bottles, and a paloma is long, so it does not.
Atmospheric distilled imo shochu
A different drink
Why it works
- Atmospheric distillation carries the heavy aromatics over rather than leaving them behind, which is why an imo made this way tastes of the potato and why 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 qualify60
Tomino Hozan Imo ShochuPoured at JurakuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), YuzuKirishima No.8 ShochuPoured at JurakuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Tonic water, GrapefruitAka Maoh Shochu Red Satan 12Imo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuAkaeImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuAkarui NousonImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, Passion fruitAkarui Nouson Akaimo Jikomi Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuArawaza SakurajimaImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), YuzuBeni-IkkoImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuBukeyashikiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuChiho no KuraImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuChiran Tea ChuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Oolong tea, YuzuColorfulImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuCrioImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuDaichi no KaamiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuGoroImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuHanadoriImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, Passion fruitHinamusumeImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuHinamusume 25 degreeImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuHinamusume Aged in KameImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuHinamusume Black KojiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuHinamusume UnfilteredImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitHouzan Josen Tama AkaneImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Oolong tea, YuzuImosei TakachihoImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuIsadaisen (white koji)Imo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuIsadaisen BLACK (black koji)Imo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuJikuya BlackImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuKagemusha Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · OitaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), YuzuKiccho HouzanImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Soda water, YuzuKiroku 'Memory' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Oolong tea, YuzuKodama Toji Junpei Beni Imo Crimson Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuKomasa Kurano Shikon Pink ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Lemon soda (ramune, Sanpellegrino), LemonKozuru Kuro Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuKuro Isanishiki Sweet Potato Shochu 900mlImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuKuro YokaichiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuKurokameImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuMahokoImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuManzenImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuNakamuraImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuNakamura Gyokuro ShiroImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, LimeNami Hana BANZAI Strength Black and WhiteImo (sweet potato)Start with Ginger beer, YuzuNami Hana Diamond Head ProofImo (sweet potato)Start with Ginger beer, YuzuNaruto Kintoki Sato MusumeImo (sweet potato) · TokushimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuNasakeshima ImoImo (sweet potato) · TokyoStart with Ginger beer, GrapefruitNatsu no Mannen 'Summer Penguin' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, Passion fruitNouka no Yome Murasaki Yaki Imo Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuNouka no Yome Yaki Imo Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuOuka 'Song of Praise' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, YuzuRokushu Five YearsImo (sweet potato) · AomoriStart with Ginger beer, YuzuSatsuma GodaiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuSatsuma HozanImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuSatsuma Kuro GodaiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, LemonSG Shochu IMOImo (sweet potato)Start with Tonic water, YuzuSilver StarImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Soda water, YuzuTenshi No Yuwaku Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuToji JunpeiImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, Passion fruitTsurushiImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, YuzuWatanabe Distillery 'Yuki no Mannen - Winter Penguin' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, CinnamonWatanabe Shochu Bros 'Imo' Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, YuzuYamaneko "Wild Cat"Imo (sweet potato) · MiyazakiStart with Ginger beer, Passion fruitYamatozakura Sweet Potato ShochuImo (sweet potato) · KagoshimaStart with Ginger beer, 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.