Shochu-se something you've never tried before

And it might as well be from an expert

Dear Drink To That reader,

As part of your subscription, you get access to trend reports from different drink categories so you can stay up to date with what’s going on in the industry.

And if you’d like to further your education, you might consider signing up for a paid subscription for either £5 per month or a more cost-effective £25 for the year.

One of the perks is accessing interviews with category experts.

The latest interview I’m pleased to present is in conversation with shochu specialist Chris Pellegrini. Chris is a prolific educator of Japan’s indigenous spirit and one hell of a storyteller.

We get into the category’s weird and wonderful history, the depth of variety and future trends.

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk Chris. It’s been great learning about shochu through your role on the Sake on Air podcast.

For anyone who doesn’t know what shochu is, what makes it different to other alcoholic drinks and why should more people be drinking it?

Completely my pleasure. For those who don’t know? Well, I’d start by saying that shochu (and awamori) are Japan’s best-kept secrets. And we’re not talking about a fad here, or something that was recently cooked up by a crafty ad company like the pop group du jour.

This is centuries and centuries of history that connects the archipelago from Okinawa in the south to Hokkaido up north. Shochu is made in every prefecture of Japan, but it has only recently gained wider recognition as Japan’s native spirit.

Due to its inherent diversity of aroma and flavour, it’s difficult to compare it to just one other spirit category from another part of the world. But I guess we can start by saying that it is an intensely artisanal product that is single-distilled and retains much of the character of the ingredients that were used to make it. To offer a more concrete definition: (honkaku) shochu is a spirit distilled from approved ingredients and their koji.

I know that sounds really simple, but it is quite possibly the most complex spirit on the planet. It’s also surprisingly difficult for many people outside Japan to pronounce correctly. Shochu is pronounced like the two English words ‘show’ and ‘chew’ tied together.