焼酎！Shōchū!

Welcome to Part 2 of my Japanese alcohol series!

This week, I'm focusing on Shōchū which is another alcoholic beverage from Japan, but is mostly made from barley or sweet potatoes. Unlike saké, shōchū has a well-known reputation for having actual health benefits and so it's becoming more and more popular amongst health-conscience or dieting drinkers looking for low calorie alternatives to the normally sugary or carb-heavy drinks.

Alcohol with health benefits is nothing new. The idea of having a glass of wine with dinner has been around for ever. But shōchū has been proven to reduce blood clots and it's low in calories. It also gets broken down easily in the body, so if you're someone who is prone to hangovers then shōchū might be a good choice for you.

I won't bore you with the history of Japan's alcohol taxation laws of the past century and how it's changed the way shōchū is classified. (You're welcome.) Currently, shōchū is divided into three main categories: 本格焼酎 (honkaku shōchū) "authentic", singly-distilled and 焼酎甲類 (shōchū kōrui), multiply-distilled and moromitori shōchū, made with rice or barley, singly-distilled and uses kōji mold spores.

Since honkaku shōchū is singly-distilled, it retains much of the aroma and taste of its main ingredient whether it's sweet potato, barley or sometimes rice and has no more than 45% alcohol by volume.

Moromitori shōchū comes in three main varieties based on the color of the kōji used.

• White: this is the most common variety and it has a sweet and taste since the saccharization is rapid due to the white kōji enzymes.
• Black: because the black spores spread so quickly, it usually left workers and facilities coated in black, so making this type fell out of favor. However, a new way to cultivate it has made this type of shōchū popular again and usually made using thai rice or soba (buckwheat).
• Yellow: this is the type of kōji used in making saké, and is very difficult to make since it's so vulnerable to warm temperatures. The result is a very strong potato based shōchū.

Shōchū kōrui, being multiply-distilled, usually is used as the base for cocktails and liqueurs like チューハ (chūhai) and 梅酒 (umeshu) - we know it as plum wine. Chūhai is short for "shōchū highball" and can be found in many fruity flavors like orange, grapefruit, peach and lychee and is served in a tall glass. Sold in a can, Chu-hi, can be found in vending machines and convenience stores around Japan. Kirin makes quite a few flavors of it. But with fruity syrup added, you're looking at a lot more calories than other alcoholic beverages.

Umeshu and how to make it at home will get a blog entry all of it's own...

乾杯! (Kampai!)

お酒! Saké!

Many of you have heard of the traditional rice-based alcohol called saké, or "o-saké" to be polite, but are not very familiar with it. Like me, you might treat yourself when you're out for sushi and you randomly choose from the menu which one you'd like. It's all the same, right? It's clear, it's strong and served piping hot in a little bottle. Most don't go beyond more than price and what the bottle design when ordering or buying saké from a liquor store.

Well, there's actually a lot more to saké. Like beer or wines, there are many classifications varying in quality, finish and taste. I am by no means an expert, but here's some clarification on varieties and basic terms to help you find a saké that's right for you.

What's the difference between 普通酒 (futsū-shu) ordinary table sake and premium saké? Do I serve it hot or cold?

First, know that the one of the biggest factors that determine the grade and way a particular saké tastes is the amount of rice that is milled or "polished" off during the brewing process. This is referred to as 精米歩合 (seimaibuai). The lower the number, the smaller the grain and the more refined the taste. The rice used in making ordinary table saké has a seimaibuai of less than 70%, meaning less than 30% of the original grain has been polished away.

特定名称主 (tokutei meishoushu) “special designation saké” or "premium" saké must have a seimaibuai of 70% or greater. There are six main classifications of premium saké and they are as follows:

1. 純米 (junmai) - this literally means "pure rice". Generally, there is no extra alcohol added during the brewing process and retains its firm rice flavor.
2. 本所ぞ (Honjōzō) - this is similar to junmai, but has a small amount of distilled alcohol added during the brewing process making it more fragrant and easier to drink.
3. 純米銀所 (junmai Ginjō) - this is a more labor intensive saké and made with traditional tools giving it a lighter taste.
4. 銀所 (ginjo) - This is similar to the above junmai ginjo, except distilled alcohol is added during the brewing process
5. 純米大銀所 (junmai daiginjō) - this is considered the highest quality of saké as it requires a lot of labor and hands-on brewing. It is more aromatic, light and delicate in flavor.
6. 大銀所 (daiginjō) - is like the above junmai daiginjo, only with distilled alcohol added during the brewing process

Other varieties involve differences in the mashes or different handling it after fermentation.

1. 無濾過 (muroka) - this literally means "not fine filtered with charcoal", meaning the brewer skips either the pasteurizing or filtering process or both giving the sake a much bolder flavor.
2. 濁り (nigori) - this is "cloudy" saké. This is somewhat filtered and the a portion of the rice is not fermented giving it a cloudy white color or sometimes chunks of rice. Careful when you open this kind because some are "sparkling" since the remaining rice is still "working".
3. 生酛 (kimoto) - this is one of the oldest ways of preparing the mash for brewing. If you want to know how saké tasted 300 years ago, give it a try.
4. 山廃 (yamahai) - this is a more simplified version of the kimoto but is still not the modern way saké is produced. It basically eliminates the most difficult part of making kimoto style of brewing, but it has a deep and full-bodied in flavor.

There are many more, but that should give you a start. What about serving it? Well, that little flask is called a 徳利 (tokkuri) and it is traditionally served in little wooden boxes called 枡 (masu). But nowadays you mostly see it served in お猪口 (o-choko) the little ceramic cups.

Hot or cold? It depends on the quality of the saké, really. The basic rule of thumb: premium is served chilled and the lower quality is served hot. Traditionally, it was served warm to mask the the woody tasting, harsher old style of brewing. Good quality saké is best served just below room temperature.

乾杯! (Kampai!)