Bartenders Choice - iichiko shochu

BARTENDERS REACH FOR SHOCHU FOR A JAPANESE TWIST

IN COCKTAILS

By Michael Tulipan

Did you know that the most consumed spirit in Japan isn’t sake or whisky but shochu? Once unknown in the United States outside Japanese restaurants, bartenders are increasingly reaching for shochu as a key component in cocktails.

Led by iconic brand iichiko, the leading barley shochu in Japan, this spirit is poised to shed its best kept secret status. While shochu has a long tradition in Japan dating back 500 years, iichiko launched in 1979. Sanwa, the parent company, successfully introduced it on the world market and today iichiko is the 27th largest distilled spirits brand in the world, selling more than seven million cases annually.

iichiko produces “honkaku shochu,” the highest grade of shochu, which is distilled once from 100% barley. Most shochu is made from barley, sweet potatoes, rice, brown sugar, or buckwheat, although around 50 different ingredients can be used to make shochu. Only four ingredients go into the production of iichiko shochu, two-row barley, koji, yeast, and water. Preferred by many beer brewers, two-row barley contains less protein than six-row barley making it easier to convert to alcohol. The barley is polished much like rice to remove impurities and unlock its flavor.

“Koji is the secret behind shochu,” says Isabella Ordway Brand Manager, Asian Spirits, for Davos Brands. “It's how iichiko can be so rich in flavor, character, and aroma but still so smooth and easy to drink.” Technically a fungus, koji kickstarts the process of converting starches to sugar in both sake and shochu. This also releases citric acid, which helps preserve the barley's flavor during the process, and unlocks the fifth taste known as umami.

iichiko’s home in Oita on Kyushu Island is famous for its pristine environment and geothermal springs, and the water has been naturally filtered through more than 1,000 feet of volcanic rock. This allows the barley to be steeped in soft, iron-free water.

iichiko comes in two expressions, Silhouette and Saiten. At 25% abv, Silhouette can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks or as the base in a lower abv cocktail like a chuhai, the name a mashup of the words shochu and Highball, made with shochu, sparkling water and a fruit base. At 43% abv, Saiten offers mixability and versatility for bartenders, adding layers to classic drinks. Give your Martini or Manhattan a Japanese twist or, as Ordway recommends, try jazzing up a Bloody Mary with iichiko Saiten.

Though the shochu is distilled only once, there are two different production methods in the making of iichiko. “Gen-atsu (low pressure) distillation creates our Silhouette expression with an elegant, delicate, smoother flavor and an aromatic nose,” says Ordway. “Jo-atsu (atmospheric) distillation creates Saiten with more robust, richer flavors.”

The name iichiko, pronounced EACH-ko, comes from the local Oita dialect and means “it’s great,” a fitting moniker for Japan’s leading shochu ambassador and a fun fact to share with your guests as they enjoy a shochu cocktail.

“KOJI IS THE SECRET BEHIND SHOCHU,” SAYS ISABELLA ORDWAY BRAND MANAGER, ASIAN SPIRITS, FOR DAVOS BRANDS. “IT'S HOW IICHIKO CAN BE SO RICH IN FLAVOR, CHARACTER, AND AROMA BUT STILL SO SMOOTH AND EASY TO DRINK.”