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 …
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Where can I buy shochu?
Shochu (and awamori) are still Japan's best-kept secrets, so the brick-and-mortar bottle shops with a half-decent selection are few and far between. In fact, I have only ever visited one during my …
What is awamori?
Awamori is Japan's original spirit. It predates Japanese whisky by centuries and shochu by generations. Whenever I talk about Japan's best-kept gustatory secrets, I include awamori. Even if I only …
Are shochu and soju the same?
Shochu and soju are not the same. Not even close. Japanese shochu and Korean soju are so different that they shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence. By conflating them, you insult two cultures at …
What is shochu?
Shochu is the best-selling spirit in Japan. It is hundreds of years older than Japanese whisky, and it outsells its more famous cousin, sake (nihonshu), domestically, but it is still relatively …