Shochu and sake are not even remotely the same.
While both beverages are indigenous to Japan, they are distinct in several ways. The key takeaway is that shochu is a spirit, while sake is a brewed beverage (not distilled). But that’s just the beginning of the differences.
Following the path of history, we should start by looking at sake (or nihonshu as it’s called in Japan). It’s older than shochu, just like other brewed drinks, such as beer and wine, are older than their distilled counterparts. Distillation technology wasn’t developed until after most brewed alcohol traditions had already taken hold.
How sake is made
Sake is alcohol brewed from rice, koji, yeast, and water (and sometimes acids are added to the fermentation to protect it, but these are never acknowledged on the label). After fermentation is completed, the alcohol is pressed or drained off of the rice solids. After filtration (required), pasteurization (optional), fortification (optional), and dilution (optional), the sake is bottled and sold to consumers, retailers, and on-premise establishments for early enjoyment. It is typically bottled between 14 and 18% ABV.
Key points to remember about sake:
- Always made from rice
- NOT distilled
- ABV similar to wine
Basic similarities between shochu and sake
Shochu (and awamori) can also be made from rice. In fact, awamori can ONLY be made from rice, so you could argue that it has a little bit more in common with sake than shochu, at least on paper. However, if you taste a standard awamori side-by-side with a standard sake, you would never mistake one for the other!
How shochu is unique
Shochu can also be fermented from rice, but there are actually 53 approved ingredients for authentic (honkaku) shochu production, making it the most diverse spirit on the planet. Common styles of shochu include sweet potato, barley, rice, kokuto sugar, and buckwheat (soba). This is, quite honestly, Japan’s best-kept gustatory secret!
But as mentioned earlier, shochu is distilled, which makes it as different from sake as whiskey is from white wine. Crucially, authentic shochu is always distilled in a pot still. The same is true for awamori.
At the very end of the production process, shochu usually spends more time aging than sake. While some shochu brands mirror sake by being released to the market when they are only several months old, it is not uncommon for shochu to spend a year or longer resting in a vat, clay pot, or oak barrel.
For instance, Mahoko Sweet Potato Shochu from Furusawa Jozo in Miyazaki Prefecture was 15 years old when it was first bottled during the pandemic, and it spent most of its life in unglazed clay pots. Yes, that’s as amazing and rare as it sounds.
Maohoko is bottled at 35% ABV, which is higher than usual. While shochu can legally be bottled at up to 44.9% ABV, most brands are bottled in the 25-30% ABV range.
Key points to remember about shochu:
- Made from dozens of ingredients (not just rice)
- (Single) pot-distilled
- It’s a spirit!
- Generally bottled at 25-30% ABV
- Additive-free
Hopefully, that clears things up for you! Shochu and sake are some of the best things Japan has to offer to the drinking classes, but they should never be conflated or confused with each other. They are distinct styles of beverage alcohol.
Now it’s time to go find some shochu (or awamori) to enjoy! While you’re at it, listen to this Japan Distilled episode explaining the differences in more detail.
Oh, and by the way, did you know that the word sake simply means ‘alcohol’ in Japanese? Well, now you do!
Kanpai!
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