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We investigate some of the more diverse uses of shouchu! »

January 25, 2005

Shouchu Tasting at a Soothing Bar close to the Tama River

The chilly days seem to be continuing as if the sweltering heat of a few months back were a figment of the imagination. At this time of year, it is incredibly gratifying to find yourself a warm spot and relax with some hot shouchu. Following on from Yamaken's visit to Bar Opa in Monzennaka, in this, the third part of the series, I'm going to take you to Cafe Sunset Beach, which is a cafe bar in my hometown. This is a bar where you can enjoy the hot southern atmosphere despite the cold sullen winter skies!

Now I don't want to brag, but my hometown, Noborito in Kawasaki, is receiving a lot of attention recently due to an increase in stylish cafe bars, organic food restaurants, and cafes. Also, because a number of universities are located close by, there are loads of cheap places serving great food aimed at the local student population. It takes about 20 minutes on an express train from Shinjuku, so it's pretty accessible from the city center. Close by there is the Tama River, and you can really just sit back and soak up the tranquil atmosphere.
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CAFE SUNSET BEACH
214-0014 Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Tama-ku, Noborito 1728
Tel: 044-933-8505
Opening Hours: 11:30am~02:00am
Closed on: Sundays and National Holidays

Located far from the hustle and bustle of the city and close to the Tama River, this bar can be reached by car from the city center if you follow the road by the side of the Setagaya Machida Line out to Machida.

The laid back atmosphere of a seaside clubhouse awaits you, in which you can really forget we are heading towards winter outside. When I dropped by it was just around Halloween, so there was a pumpkin glowing on the counter. Oh…and I should mention that the landlord bares a striking resemblance to Ichiro! (The likeness is seriously uncanny. I really wanted to take his picture, but he turned me down, saying that you guys have to stop by and see for yourselves!) In addition to the cocktails you'd expect at a place like this, they also have a range of drinks including shouchu, sake, and imported beers such as Kona from Hawaii, and Corona from Mexico.

So anyway, the shouchus we had the landlord try are the same as last time and are listed below. He supped them back on the rocks as he relaxed at home.

The Shouchus Tasted

	Shouchu	% Alc.	Distillation Method	Malt	Main Ingredient	Preparation
A	Kameshizuku	20	Low Temperature	White	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel entirely
B	Superlight Kanro	20	Low Temperature	White	Kogane Sengan	Remove stalk only
C	Kanekyo Kanro	20	Low Temperature	Black	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Remove stalk only
D	Kanro	25	High Temperature	White	Kogane Sengan	Remove stalk only
E	Tokusen Kanro	25	High Temperature	White	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel entirely
F	Jidaigura	25	High Temperature	Black	Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki	Peel stripes

(Miyazaki Beni Kotobuki and Kogane Sengan are types of potato)

What was your impression of the shouchus?

"Kameshizuku goes down really easily since it has no overpowering characteristics. The Superlight Kanro is fairly dry. The Kanekyo Kanro is pretty fruity, so I imagine it may be popular with the ladies. It would probably go pretty well with the Avocado and Tomato Salad on our menu."

Here's the dish he's talking about. It's pretty simple with just the avocado and tomato cut up and served with salt and lemon. The richness of the avocado is ideally complemented by the freshness of lemon to provide a cool refreshing dish. What makes it even more fantastic is the way that the salt and lemon really bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes!! Fruity shouchus made by low temperature distillation would seem to be a perfect complement to dishes such as these, which have fairly simple combinations of flavors. Upon combining these flavors, we find that they don't clash with each other and are in fact a perfect complement.

So how about the rest of the shouchus?

"The Kanro is dry and fresh so I think it would go well with sashimi. The Tokusen Kanro is also dry, but is different to the Kanro since it exudes a stronger potato aroma. It's a kind of masculine shouchu. Jidaigura Kanro is sweet and has depth. That's possibly my favorite. Although not on our menu, I'd suggest it would go well with the thickness and richness of gratin or cheese dishes."

Shouchu and gratin…I never expected that! But from what he says, the taste of the food won't be overpowered by that of the shouchu, so they'll most likely complement each other. I really have to check that out sometime.

Listening to what the landlord is saying, the shouchus can be split into two broad categories. He says shouchus A, B, and C (those made by low temperature distillation) have a kind of feminine softness to them, and would go well with an appetizer or light meal. Meanwhile, shouchus D, E, and F (those made by high temperature distillation) have a stronger masculine character, and would suit more substantial dishes.

Have you ever made cocktails using shouchu?

"I have made them using the more pure white liquor, but wouldn't use real shouchu in which you can still taste the flavor of the original ingredients. I think it's best to enjoy them on their own rather than mixing them with other things. If you were going to use them however, then I'd suggest a relatively unobtrusive shouchu such as barley (mugi) shouchu."

Right now possibly the most popular base for a cocktail is vodka, since it doesn't have any particular aroma or overpowering flavor, and so it doesn't intrude upon any other flavors that you mix with it. Among the real or original shouchus the one that is most like vodka is barley (mugi) shouchu.

Hmm…but then again, possibly mixing things with real shouchu is really just a waste since you'd be ruining the great flavor of the original ingredients.

This time, the landlord drank the shouchus at home while enjoying a dish of cod stewed in soy sauce and sugar, and he says it is the perfect dish for all shouchus. Shouchu is certainly appearing to be a very versatile drink for the dining table; it is truly formidable.

But since shouchu seems to suit all types of dishes, I guess it must be pretty difficult to select just one dish that suits shouchu perfectly. I'm really grateful that the landlord took time out of his busy schedule to suggest a dish for us.

Although it appears shouchu goes well with all kinds of dishes, we will continue the search for a dish that suits shouchu even more perfectly than this times recommendation. It's certainly an interesting yet somewhat tricky challenge. I think you could have a lot of fun experimenting at home too! Why not give it a try?

Posted Admin : January 25, 2005 06:14 PM