Shochu Pros Shochu’sday #34: SOJU?!
Join us as we try a "classic" Korean soju and a new, modern style that has recently begun to appear.
soju
The Enchanted Island – Shima Senryo
Unique to the US market, Shima Senryo is a blend of white koji and black koji sweet potato shochu. While this blending style can be found more commonly in Japan, this is the only brand currently in the US that uses this unique approach. Blending has an interesting, but incompletely understood history in shochu production, but more and more distilleries are blending intentionally rather than as a way to cover up some off batches.
Hoppy – postwar nostalgia in a bottle
How do you describe Hoppy? The straightforward, technical way, is an ultra-low proof (<1% ABV) malt liquor from Japan. But that doesn't come close to what Hoppy really is.
Shochu FAQs
A few random questions I'm often asked.
Landmark Wine in NYC
Landmark carries perhaps the single most impressive volume of shochu I’ve discovered in New York City. If you’re in the NYC area, it’s worth a visit. Given time, we may be able to work our way through their collection. A long, long time.
Basil Infused Shochu?
I probably should have read up on basil infusion before I tried this, but I used the leftover Korean soju that a friend brought over since it was not fit for non-mixed drinks.
I chopped some fresh basil and put it into an airtight jar with the leftover soju for 36 hours – the same length of time I infused the habanero peppers.
Result?
Rancid soju. Not a hint of basil flavor. Just rot.
Turns out I didn’t need to chop the leaves or pluck the stems – just drop the whole basil bunch into the jar. I suspect my chopping might have quickened the “ripening” of the basil in the jar.… Read More “Basil Infused Shochu?”