If You Like Whiskey, You'll Love Shochu

Shochu is showing up in fine Asian restaurants, in cocktails at trendy bars, and it's even beginning to make an appearance on liquor store shelves.

This Asian spirit -- shochu in Japan, soju in Korea -- has long been popular throughout Asia, and the past decade has seen shochu burst onto the global scene.

New York's En Japanese Brasserie has an entire bar devoted to it. Last month, Matsuhisa in Aspen launched a comprehensive shochu list.

Shochu's got all the marks of an international drink trend that will turn into a beverage-menu mainstay, much as sake did before it, so it's time to get to know what this spirit is all about.

Shochu -- pronounced "show-chew" -- dates back to the 14th century, and for most of its history in Asia, was a working-man's beverage, roughly the social equivalent to a beer. But just as beer went from a humble brewski to a high-end, microbrewed beverage, so too has shochu moved upscale. And because shochu comes in many different varieties, it offers lots for your inner drink-geek to love.

While sake is brewed, shochu is distilled, from a variety of ingredients: rice, sweet potato, soba, barley, even carrots. The ingredient that provides the raw material for the shochu greatly affects the flavor.

Shochu that's made from rice (kome or awamori) has a nutty, grainy flavor. Shochu made from sweet potatoes (imo) or carrots (ninjin) has a richer, sweeter flavor.

The more flavorful varieties of shochu -- especially those distilled from sweet potatoes or carrots -- are most easily compared to a whiskey. These can be enjoyed before or after dinner, either on their own, on the rocks, or served traditionally with hot water (two parts shochu to three parts hot water), says Shawn Gallus, cellar master at Matsuhisa. Try Kaikouzo Imu Shochu, one of the most intensely flavored on the market according to Astor Wines & Spirits in New York, or Tenpo, a variety that's distilled from dates, that's similar to brandy.

Most of the shochu on the market here is most easily to compared to vodka, although there are some key differences, says Gallus. Shochu has fewer calories than vodka; vodka has 60 calories an ounce, while shochu has 15-20 calories. And -- key for those who mix business with imbibing -- it contains less alcohol than vodka. Shochu is generally about 24% alcohol, which is about 48 proof, while vodka is usually 35% to 50% alcohol, or 70 to 100 proof. Order any cocktail with shochu instead of vodka, and you'll have an easier time keeping your wits about you. Two popular shochus that make good premium vodka substitutes: Ku Soju, and Tori Kai.

While you can use shochu as a vodka substitute in any cocktail, it's also fun to try a cocktail that makes the most out of a shochu with a distinctive flavor. Sudachi Chu is a shochu that's made from molasses and a sudachi, which is a Japanese citrus. This is a particular favorite of customers of at Bacchus Wine Made Simple in New York City, says owner Tola Talabi -- especially when it's made into this unique mojito:

Sudachi Shiso Mojito
Ingredients:
2 oz Sudachi Chu
1/6 cut lemon
1 tsp simple syrup
3 shiso leaves (a Japanese basil)
Splash of club soda

Directions: Smash the shiso leaves in an old fashioned glass and mix with other ingredients besides the club soda. Shake up with a lot of ice. Pour in a splash of club soda before serving.