shochu pros

Shochu Pros Shochu’sday #36: Awamori, Baby!

January 26, 2021 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Stephen and Christopher give some love to a really unknown category of indigenous Japanese spirits: Okinawan Awamori.

Shochu Pros Shochu’sday #25: ceramics, glassware, and Blind Sample C

November 11, 2020 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Join Stephen and Christopher as they talk shochu ceramic drinking vessels and taste blind sample C from Kagoshima.

Shochu Pros Shochu’sday #17: All Things Miyazaki

September 16, 2020 by Stephen Leave a Comment

September 16 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Stephen and Christopher visited Miyazaki Prefecture on Shochu’sday #6 back in July. This week they wax nostalgic about all of the great shochu made in the area as well as discuss all of the other amazing things to do and see in the most remote of the prefectures in Kyushu.

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Shochu Pros – Shochu’sday

June 10, 2020 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Every week Stephen Lyman & Christopher Pellegrini are coming to you live from Japan via Instagram Live for Shochu Pros Instagram TV. For each episode (weather permitting) one host will be "on location" somewhere interesting. The on-location host will give some backstory about the location and then the discussion will kick off. Once the topical discussion is finished, we will open the floor for questions from the live viewers. You can join through Christopher's instagram (or Stephen's when he is the host).

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu MUGI

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.

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.

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 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.