Oyuwari is a traditional shochu and awamori serving method that involves mixing the spirit with hot water. Oyuwari is recommended for atmospheric pot-distilled shochu and awamori rather than vacuum-distilled. Thanks to the heat, the result is a lower-proof drink with more decadent aromatics.
Spirits Diluted with Hot Water…?
Japan has a long history of heating spirits before consumption. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to drink maewari (pre-diluted shochu) heated over an open flame in a joka (shochu kettle), then you know how enchanting the experience can be. Maewari service takes some planning, however, so it’s far more common today to add both the dilution and heat simultaneously in the form of hot water.
“How much hot water?” you ask. Quite a lot, actually. Let’s take a stock-standard 25% ABV shochu as our spirit. If you go with the ratio initially popularized in the 1970s, then you’d blend shochu with hot water at a 3:2 ratio. In other words, you’re diluting the shochu by 40% (ie. down to 15% alcohol in the glass). In Japan, we refer to this ratio as roku-yon (six parts shochu to four parts hot water), and it is perhaps the most commonly requested dilution at bars, izakaya, and restaurants that understand how to serve the style.
How to Make Oyuwari
But don’t count out other dilution ratios. I happen to really like 5:5 (go-go), and there are certainly times when 4:6 (yon-roku) might be the better speed. It all depends on the brand, how you’re feeling, and what you’re eating. Again, for a 25% ABV shochu, you’re looking at 12.5% ABV in the glass for a 5:5, and 10% ABV at 4:6.
But here’s an important question: which do you pour into the cup first, the shochu or the hot water? There are arguments for both sides, but there’s only one correct answer to this question.
While plenty of places pour the shochu first–both in Japan and globally–it is seen as a litmus test identifying watering holes that don’t train their staff correctly. You should always pour the hot water into your cup first.
And here’s how to do it at home. First, heat some water in a saucepan or kettle. After it boils, add the hot water to a ceramic cup or tempered glass. Next, you need to wait for a few minutes. The hot water will cool quickly, but you can’t pour the shochu in too soon because the alcohol will evaporate if it’s too hot. The sudden temperature rise can also ruin the flavor of the shochu (sometimes imparting a soapy nuance to your drink), so it’s essential to wait a few minutes before adding the shochu (or awamori, of course).
Honestly, you need to calculate the ambient temperature of your cup and shochu to get the timing perfect, but to keep it simple, I often just set a timer on my watch for five minutes, which is usually the right amount of time for the water to cool to around 65 degrees Celsius (150 deg F). That’s a reliable starting point if you’re playing with a 6:5 or 5:5 ratio oyuwari. You’ll need less time in the winter, of course, or if someone in your domicile has an air conditioning fetish.
Like brewing the perfect cup of coffee or tea, oyuwari takes practice. And believe me, it’s completely worth it. Pour the shochu into your cup of 65 degrees Celsius water very slowly. It will convex on its own, so you don’t need to stir it. Enjoy the rounded aromas. Now it’s time to sip.
Oyuwari = Hot Water First
Let me explain why it’s dumb to pour the shochu first. The only upside is that you may be able to dry out a shochu that is a little too bright.
But there are more negatives than positives. The first risk is that it’s very easy to scorch the shochu or awamori this way. If you have an electric kettle that allows you to set the temperature, then this is much easier to avoid. But you still need to be hypervigilant about how hot the water is when it meets the spirit in your glass.
The second risk, and this is a deal-breaker for me, is that the drink cools down more quickly if you pour the shochu first. The entire point of oyuwari is enjoying the aromas and warmth of the drink for as long as possible. And you have more time to do that if you pour the hot water first.
Shochu first: the depths of your drink will drop out of the 40-45 degree C sweet zone in less than five minutes.
Hot water first: the deeper parts of your drink will stay warm for twice as long. The shochu and hot water also blend more completely from the start, so you march more slowly to room temperature.
Oyuwari Benefits
Oyuwari is my favorite way to enjoy many shochu and awamori. It works especially well with sweet potato shochu, but can also be employed reliably when sipping atmospheric distilled kokuto sugar, rice, and barley shochu.
As I mentioned earlier, the boosted aroma is worth the journey. But one of my favorite things about oyuwari is that it simply agrees with my body. Like sipping tea, my stomach doesn’t have to work double-time to cool and process the liquid. The drink’s warmth has the added benefit of slowing me down. I spend more time savoring and less time gulping.
One final benefit is the fact that oyuwari pairs so well with food. There’s generally no acidity remaining in shochu and awamori, so they won’t fight with your meal. But the heat-enhanced aromatics of shochu can be magical alongside cuisine from all around the world.
Kanpai!
Leave a Reply