2012 Bacardi Global Legacy bartending competition winner, Shingo Gokan, and his multi-talented colleague, Joshin Atone, have worked in and started some of the most famous cocktail bars on the planet. They have long understood that single pot-distilled Japanese shochu is one of the world’s best-kept secrets, and they work endlessly to educate their clientele through evocative and delicious new creations.
“Honestly, I think shochu has insane potential as a cocktail base,” Mr. Atone quipped to Kanpai.us.
Earlier this year, Gokan and Atone released The SG Shochu, a trio of honkaku shochu created in cooperation with three well-established distilleries in Kyushu. Unlike standard honkaku shochu brands which are normally bottled at 25% ABV, The SG Shochu lineup is bottled at, or just a shade under, the proof at which they were born (high 70s to low 80s). The SG Shochu IMO (sweet potato) is bottled at 38% ABV while The SG Shochu KOME (rice) and The SG Shochu MUGI (barley) are both 40% ABV.
Atone explained that the relatively low ABVs coming off the still are due to the fact that honkaku shochu is only distilled once in a pot still, a rare occurence in the spirits world.
“The single distillation allows the flavor of the base ingredient to come through, providing a foundation for cocktails when shochu is used as a base spirit.”
All three of the new shochu brands, packaged in sturdy apothecary-style bottles, present layered bouquets and are more than complex enough to hold their own in cocktails both classic and as yet unimagined. And that’s the goal. The SG Shochu lineup was designed to become a new tool in the bartender’s arsenal.
“Bartenders can work with shochu as a flavor base instead of simply as an alcoholic base,” he said.
Courtesy of The SG Shochu, of which Atone is the brand manager, we are excited to present to you three cocktail recipes–one featuring each of the brands in this groundbreaking category of cocktail-intended honkaku shochu expressions.
Cocktail Recipes Featuring The SG Shochu
Kome Otome
–The SG Shochu KOME: 45ml
-Lemon juice: 15ml
-Egg white: 15ml
-Honey: 10ml
-Rose water: 1 drop
-Pink peppercorn for garnish
Method:
- Combine all ingredients and emulsify with an electric blender or dry shake.
- Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe glass.
- Top with 2~3 pieces of cracked pink peppercorn.
Joshin Atone’s Comment: This is a light and refreshing sour-style cocktail with a nice floral accent from the rose water. Great afternoon cocktail that can be made at home relatively easily!
Satsuma Libre
–The SG Shochu IMO: 30ml
-Coca-Cola: 90ml
-Lime wedge: 1/6 piece
Method:
- Squeeze lime into collins glass, drop the wedge, and fill glass with ice.
- Add The SG Shochu IMO and stir briefly to chill the spirit.
- Top with Coca-Cola and lightly lift the ice with barspoon to mix.
Joshin Atone’s Comment: There are so many things–both simple and creative–that you can do with The SG Shochu IMO. However, this simple drink is a must-try, even if you usually don’t drink coke. The tropical and floral notes of the purple sweet potato blend beautifully with the sweetness and complex spice profile of the cola, making this a respectable cocktail to be caught drinking.
Castella Flip
–The SG Shochu MUGI: 45ml
-Heavy cream: 15ml
-Caramel Syrup: 15ml
-Egg yolk: 1pc
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker and emulsify with an electric blender or dry shake.
- Shake with ice and double strain into a coupe glass.
Joshin Atone’s Comment: A castella is an egg-based confectionary similar to a sponge cake. Originally adapted from a Portuguese dessert, the castella has long been a favorite amongst the Japanese. This flip-style cocktail captures that exact flavor profile—the delicate sweetness, airy mouthfeel, and the nostalgia. By the way, an electric hand blender is a very useful tool you can get for very cheap, and can be used to pre-incorporate the ingredients for any shaken cocktail.
One thing that the tasters at Kanpai.us repeatedly commented on was that Atone, Gokan, and their distillery partners were able to encapsulate so much of shochu’s immense flavor spectrum in only three brands. Indeed, honkaku shochu can legally be made with more than four dozen approved ingredients, and the possibilities are endless.
Atone continues, “…when you take into consideration styles of distillation, filtering, blends, aging, and dilution, you have a near-infinite variety even within the shochu category.”
So happy mixing, and…