Shochu (“show-chew”) is like an ultra smooth white whisky, softer and lighter. In Japan, it’s been more popular than sake the last 15 years! Ours is made right here in the U.S.: a New American Spirit!
Learn More!
Here’s a great article by NY Times Bestselling author Larry Olmsted about shochu:
Shochu mixes well with everything. There are endless possibilities. Shochu and …fruit sodas …oolong or green tea ….juices …even beer! It makes for new, light cocktails, just the way you’d like. Experiment! We think you’ll love it! Then again, shochu connoisseurs also enjoy premium shochu straight or on ice. In Japan, shochu cocktails are called Chuhai (“chew-high”), shoCHU-HIghballs
Make A Drink!
In Japan, shochu cocktails are called Chuhai ("chew-high"). Here's a fun article on Chuhai from The Drink Blog (they have great recipes for all sorts of cocktails):
Well, first of all, we’re the *only* shochu distillery in North America!
We make our shochu right here in Frederick, Maryland, where there is a lively growing community of craft distilleries, breweries and wineries. And we’re pioneering a totally new distilled spirit in America! Our shochu has been taste-tested by the Chairman and execs of the Brewing Society of Japan. Their comment was, “Amano-san, you have shochu. Please sell it in America, where it’s not well known!”
Is Shochu like Sake?
Shochu is a distilled spirit, more like whisky or vodka. Sake is fermented, or brewed, more like beer.
Shochu is bottled typically at 24–25% alcohol by volume, although it can be higher or lower (we have a 40% line in the works). It can be mixed (making a drink that is around 5–10%) or taken straight or on the rocks.
Sake is typically 15–16% ABV (Japanese law says less than 22%), and is almost always taken straight.
Is Shochu like Vodka?
Shochu is often compared to vodka, and the two are similar in both being distilled and typically clear, white spirits.
The big differences are (1) vodka is always mutiple distilled, and/or filtered, to get the definitional “without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color”. Honkaku Shochu, or Genuine Shochu like our Umai! Shochu is single distilled much like a whisky, and we also don’t filter, so we retain the character of the grain; and (2) vodka, like all western spirits, uses malted barley to sugarize the starches. Making shochu involves koji, or Aspergillus luchuensis. Koji is also used in making miso, soy sauce, and sake, but those actually use different species of Aspergillus. With shochu, we use A. luchuensis.
Fun Fact:
The USDA first entered Aspergillus awamori, Aspergillus luchuensis, and Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachi into their database (that would be all the shochu Aspergilluses, folks) when Taka registered to import A. luchuensis!
Our Spirits
The spirits we have available currently are:
• UMAI! Shochu 24% 375ml
• UMAI! Shochu 24% 50ml (brand new!)
UMAI! is our flagship shochu
The most common reaction we get is, “that’s smooth!” Enjoy it straight, on the rocks, or with your favorite mixer. Bottled at 24% Alcohol/Volume, 375ml
UMAI! Shochu — Spirits distilled from grain: Ingredients: R.O. (Reverse Osmosis) Water, Organic Barley, Yeast and Koji. Distilled and Bottled at American Shochu Company in Frederick, Maryland.
