Shochu | The Rise of Asian Beverages

Should you shochu?

WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE BURGEONING NEW CATEGORY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET, THE JAPANESE SPIRIT SHOCHU, AND SPEAK TO BEAM SUNTORY’S DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION ABOUT ITS POTENTIAL.

Words Ashley Pini

It’s no secret traditional Asian drinks are on the rise, but where is this growth coming from? And what is the opportunity for you and your customers? Is the growth in these spirits linked to a changing demographic or the wider community embracing new-found taste profiles and ways to enjoy traditional Asian drinks? To understand this, we first need to analyse what the drinks are and the difference. Here, we focus on shochu, Japan’s secondlargest alcohol category.

Shochu represents over one-quarter of alcohol consumed in Japan, having grown steadily over the last decade to now be the second only to beer. Shochu is an alcoholic drink unlike saké, wine or beer, and traditionally has 25 percent or less alcohol content. The name itself explains the category: SHO (burning) + CHU (spirits) and as such is a term that encapsulates all distilled spirits in Japan made in this traditional way – excluding Western spirits such as whisky, brandy, vodka, rum and gin.

Unlike saké which is brewed, shochu is distilled. It is not vodka because Japanese vodka differs in alcohol levels (37%abv plus, versus shochu at 25% and less) and uses substances such as activated charcoal in the filtering process.

Shochu is different because it uses Kojikin (aspergillius oryzae), a mould to break down the starches into fermentable sugars before it is distilled into alcohol. The process results in shochu’s unique flavour profile. There are three kinds of mould used to make shochu, kuro - black, ki - yellow and shiro -white and all contribute to different flavours and palate profiles in the final spirit.

Beam Suntory has released KOYOMI™ Shochu in Australia, so we asked the Director of Innovation, Kay Oh, to sum up the category and brand plus the upcoming launch of the Minus 196 (-196) RTD.

Kay Oh, Director of Innovation, Beam Suntory

“We have seen the rise of Asian spirits globally, and no surprise that shochu cocktail menus are popping up in trendsetting bars in New York and London. We’re very excited to bring KOYOMI™ Shochu FBS to Australia, and so far, it has been very well received by on-premise venues.

“Australian consumers are truly multicultural; you just have to see all the different foods we love eating, a variety of choices with authenticity. Our passion is to bring a unique and authentic Japanese experience to Australian consumers as if they are transported to Japan.

“Shochu is the oldest national spirit of Japan, and KOYOMI™ Shochu is specifically distilled in Japan for Australian consumers.

“We wanted KOYOMI™ to retain a light, fruity and crisp taste that many Australians would enjoy, more flavoursome than vodka but subtler than gin at 25 percent ABV. I hope KOYOMI™ Shochu will be enjoyed by many Australian people looking for a unique, sophisticated taste experience at low-calorie and zero carbs.

“We recommend enjoying it as a ChuHi, mixed with soda and citrus (Yuzu is the best if you can get your hands on it), but I will also add, KOYOMI™ Shochu on the rocks (a small cube is fine) is also a pleasurable drink even for shochu beginners.

“As with all businesses and industry sectors across the world, Beam Suntory is pivoting business to understand better consumer consumption and purchase behaviour post COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve seen the trend for Asian beverages, particularly shochu. We are also cementing our leadership in the space with the launch of our next release, Minus 196 Double Lemon (-196), a pre-mix blend made from shochu, vodka, soda and lemon.”