Introduction to Shochu
This is one of the best articles I’ve seen about shochu. For those who don’t know what it is, shochu is a Japanese distilled liquor made from sweet potatoes, rice, barley, or other sugar cane, and distillers often add other ingredients, giving it all sorts of different flavors. There are thousands of shochus available in Japan. In fact, there are an estimated 2500-3000 shochu breweries in Kagoshima alone, which the article compares to Scotland for whisky. However, you’ll find few of these shochus elsewhere. It really is one of those drinks that hasn’t really permeated other markets, though that could change with its image upgrade. For now, you’ll probably have to head to Japantown or certain Japanese restaurants in order to sample any of them.
