U.S. Cocktail Bars Celebrate Japan’s Oldest Spirit
As cocktail connoisseurs look to broaden their palates beyond the usual tequila, vodka and gin drinks, many are turning to Japan’s original craft spirit, shochu.
A distilled spirit produced and consumed in the country for over 500 years, shochu uses up to 55 different raw and processed ingredients. The most common base for shochu is barley, rice, sweet potato, molasses, buckwheat, and brown sugar.
A highly versatile spirit, shochu has been taking the U.S. and its bartenders by storm. They’re using it in classic cocktails like the martini and negroni. It’s also served straight, on the rocks, or with tonic or soda.
To celebrate shochu, as well as expose it to more consumers, Kagoshima Sake and Shochu Makers Association, Kumamoto Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Oita Prefecture have partnered with some of America’s best bars for Shochu Cocktail Week from March 1-14.
The participating bars will showcase their individual flavor and cocktail flair for Shochu Cocktail Week by incorporating shochu from different Japanese regionalities and ingredients into a special, limited-time cocktail menu unique to their venue.
The participating Shochu Cocktail Week 2022 bars include Austin’s Half Step and Daijoubu at Drink.Well; Chicago’s Bar Kumiko; New York Martiny’s, Patent Pending, Rule of Thirds and Bar Goto; San Francisco’s PABU and Kona Street Market; and Washington D.C.’s Silver Lyan.
