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Kanpai

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Robataya

Experience Shochu in NYC!

January 28, 2012 by Stephen 1 Comment

Experience Shochu in NYC!It has never been a better time to be a shochu drinker in New York City. On February 12 & 13, JETRO & JSS bring us "Experience Shochu, The National Spirit of Japan." If you are curious about the spirit or already know you're a fan, you owe it to yourself to make time for these events.

Filed Under: Izakayas, Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Chizuko Niikawa, Event, Experience Shochu, Inakaya, JETRO, JSS, New York, Robataya, Sakagura, Sake Discoveries, shochu, Shochu Night Out

Inakaya – High Tourism

January 2, 2012 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Inakaya – High Tourism

Inakaya is in the ground floor of the New York Times building (231 West 40th Street, just past the Muji store off 8th Ave) near Times Square in Manhattan. If that seems like an unlikely place for an izakaya, it is. This robataya is the U.S. outpost of a Roppongi izakaya of the same name. The “tourism” comes in with their presentation. Food is fussily handed to bar customers and the waitstaff via long wooden handled trays across a wide bar that is decorated with today’s fresh ingredients. Oh and the demonstration making mochi rice balls in which two cooks use large wooden mallets to grind down the rice – out in the dining room.… Read More “Inakaya – High Tourism”

Filed Under: Hit & Fun Photos, Izakayas Tagged With: Inakaya, New York City, Robataya, Times Square

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Retweet on TwitterawamoriXshochu Retweeted
rickHKTRick@rickHKT·
11 May

Tonight’s the night I finish off the bottle of shochu I received a little over a year ago.

Here’s to you @LymanTweets.

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Shochu Reviews

iichiko Kurobin

My personal favorite iichiko brand available in the US is iichiko Kurobin. Kurobin is literally translated as "black bottle," which is a pretty on the nose description of this evocative packaging. It is simply too pretty to throw away after finishing.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu IMO

The SG Shochu IMO is a clear invitation to create the classic imo cocktail. If you get it right, it will resonate and cascade around the world until you can't not have sweet potato shochu on your menu if you consider yourself a proper drinking establishment.

iichiko silhouette

This iichiko silhouette is probably the most common Japanese shochu currently available in the United States. In NYC I’ve seen it in random mom & pop liquor stores as the only shochu among a shelf of sake options. It’s most commonly available in 750ml bottles, though I’ve seen other sizes in other countries. This is a great starter shochu, which is why I’ve chosen it for my first tasting note. It was my introduction to shochu back in 2008. I’d had Korean soju before, but Japanese shochu is a strikingly different (and better) experience.

The SG Shochu Cocktail Recipes

Bartender Shingo Gokan mixes a cocktail.
The SG Shochu brand manager, Joshin Atone, talks with Kanpai.us about shochu's versatility and potential in the cocktail. He also shares three recipes for bartenders to try.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: Nankai

Nankai Shochu
At first whiff, Nankai smells faintly grassy, which is common in kokuto shochu owing to how kokuto sugar is made from fresh cut cane and that fresh grassiness is a sign of well made kokuto sugar. Sugar cane is, after all, a tall perennial grass. It is still pretty wild that they can capture that after fermentation and distillation.

Tasting Notes: Lento Shochu

Lento is the top selling kokuto shochu in Japan, and it is available internationally as well. Try it on the rocks or with sparkling water for a refreshing taste of the Amami Islands. Kanpai!

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu MUGI

The SG Shochu MUGI Label
The SG Shochu MUGI wraps several barley shochu identities into one. It's lightly barrel-aged and carries the associated sweet notes. But there's also a graininess that is revealed when the temperature of the drink drops. It's a versatile barley shochu that can be enjoyed a variety of ways.

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