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?

For instance, how is shouchu different to Japanese sake and wine? And how does “Honkaku Shouchu” (the real and original shouchu) manage to retain the flavor of the original ingredients? Once you know all the details about shouchu, we figure that you’ll enjoy it even more than just enjoying the taste as you knock it back. And so, with this in mind, we decided to cover an in-depth story on Kyoya Brewery in Miyazaki Prefecture’s Nichinan City, which is famous for its potato (imo) shouchu “Kanro”. In this article, we’ll show you the production processes, and reveal the answers to some of the simple grass roots questions that we hit Kyoya with.

This, incidentally, is the same Nichinan City as the one that features in the TV drama series “Wakaba”, which is currently airing on NHK. For those of you who are not familiar with the series, Wakaba is actually the name of the leading character, and the story is set in the family home of Wakaba’s mother, which is that of a long-established shouchu maker. You may or may not be surprised to learn that both the house and the brewery of Mr. Watanabe, the president of Kyoya, have been used as an influence to help make this drama authentic.

Anyway, let’s start exploring the route to making shouchu!

1. First we start by incubating the malt in a tank.

Malt is a must in the production of the alcohol in shouchu. Malt is added to the rice, and this then dissolves the starch in the rice leaving really sweet sugar.
We can then use yeast to convert this sugar into alcohol. This sequence of malted rice and yeast operations is known as parallel multiple fermentation.
The rice malt is produced using this tank. When the rice is put into the drum, the following sequence of operations is performed: the rice is washed > the rice is allowed to absorb water > steaming > malt is added and incubated. So via the introduction of moisture and moderate heating, the nutrients within the rice are extracted, and rice malt is produced at a dramatic rate inside the drum.

2. The malt obtained is cooled in a cooler, and the malted rice allowed to set overnight.
The photo on the left shows the cooler. If the steamed rice is left lumped together, then the surface will dry out and the temperature will drop, while the center will become hot and moist. To stop this occurring, the rice is spread out evenly. This helps the moisture in the rice to evaporate, and leads to more uniform malted rice production.

“When using yellow malt for the production of Japanese sake, the proliferation of bacteria in the ‘Moromi’ (unrefined sake) is prevented by maintaining it at low temperatures. The white malt and black malt used in shouchu on the other hand form large amounts of citric acid, and this keeps the pH of the Moromi low, thereby preventing bacteria formation. Because of this, fermentation can be performed without problems in relatively high temperature storerooms,” explains Mr. Watanabe, president of Kyoya.

I see!! This must be why shouchu production has blossomed in the warm Kyushu region.

3. Next, the water and the malt are transferred to a “Kame” (cask), and fermented for 5~6 days. Steamed potatoes are then added, and fermentation performed for a further 12 days.

The initial fermentation results in what we refer to as the “Ichiji Moromi” (primary refined sake), and the following fermentation results in the “Niji Moromi” (secondary refined sake). The type of shouchu obtained depends on what we add to the Ichiji Moromi. If we were to add rice, then we would end up with a rice (kome) shouchu, barley would give a barley (mugi) shouchu, and potatoes give a potato (imo) shouchu.

In general, it is popular to make sake in stainless steel tanks, the temperature of which is controlled from the outside. At Kyoya Brewery they prefer to use Kame. In the 800-liter small volume production method, there is no forced addition or removal of heat from the outside of the Kame, and the natural fermentation process is preserved.

It may in fact be easier to perform the process in large tanks with temperature control, and in that respect large tanks may be advantageous. Their use, however, may also lead to shouchus that are somewhat bland and identical. On the other hand, when Kame are used the process is sensitive to changes in the weather, and the conditions of each and every Kame must be monitored and adjusted on a daily basis. The care and attention involved in the job makes it something that is more akin to looking after a child.

In my free time, I often bake bread using natural yeast. This is somewhat different to pure cultured yeast, which is comparatively easy to use in cooking. In the case of natural yeast, fine differences in the finished bread occur depending on the weather, humidity, and the method of kneading used. The dedication required to make bread in this way is in many ways similar to that required for producing Moromi. In both cases, one can sense a warm satisfaction in the fact that the degree of care and attention paid in the making is reflected in the flavor and finesse of the finished product.

4. Finally, the Moromi that has completed the fermentation process is distilled

A large difference between Japanese sake and shouchu is whether the unrefined sake is filtered or distilled. In the case of Japanese sake, the unrefined sake is actually filtered, but in the case of shouchu it is heated until it boils, and the vapor formed is extracted and collected.
You all learnt how to make distilled water in Chemistry class at elementary school…right? Well, the principle here is just the same. Grade-A shouchu is made using continuous distillation equipment, which yields highly pure alcohol. The real shouchu (or Grade-B shouchu) made by Kyoya Brewery, on the other hand, is made by performing distillation only once using simple distillation equipment. Using this latter method it is possible to produce shouchu that retains the flavor of the original ingredients.

Boiling and distillation can be performed under normal pressure conditions (atmospheric distillation), or at temperatures that are lower than the normal boiling point by lowering the pressure (reduced pressure distillation), and the flavor changes depending on the conditions used.

Both reduced pressure distillation and atmospheric distillation can be performed using the same distillation equipment. It’s like having something that performs both the functions of a pressure cooker and a casserole dish. Pretty high-tech, right?
The picture on the right shows the boiling Moromi. You can actually hear it bubbling!

This is a boiler. Recent boilers tend to generate a great deal of heat but very little steam. However, at Kyoya they use conventional boilers that create a lot of steam.

「“Despite the fact that the thermal efficiency is low, we are continuing to use the traditional Cornish boilers, since we can obtain great shouchu with a breadth of flavor by steaming the potatoes and rice in saturated low pressure steam,” says Mr. Watanabe.

I guess it’s kind of like when you heat sweet potatoes in a microwave…I mean they may get cooked but they don’t have such a sweet taste. However, if you heat the same sweet potatoes in a steamer then they can be surprisingly sweet. Although in both cases we are “heating” the potatoes, large differences arise depending on the method used to heat them. The same can be said for bread, where after fermenting but before cooking we cover it in a mist of water. By doing so, we prevent the surface from drying out, thereby allowing the bread to rise fully. When it comes to Kyoya though, all I could do is feel admiration, since although we may refer to it as the simple process of “heating”, the staff of Kyoya are cutting no corners whatsoever.

The memorable thing for me this visit was the depth I discovered that lies behind potato (imo) shouchu. It’s not only distilling the ingredients, it is the sheer ingenuity in the steps preceding distillation. For example, even when using the same type of potato, the flavor obtained varies depending on whether you remove all the skin, half the skin, or do not remove the skin at all. Further differences can arise depending on whether white malt or black malt is used, and how much water is added. At the end of the day, the cumulative effect of all these factors can have you asking whether the final product is from the same potato or not.

Potatoes differ from rice and barley in that they spoil with storage. Only potatoes fresh from the field can be used to make shouchu, and so production is limited to a period from September to December. So even though there is a shouchu boom, it is not possible to just suddenly increase production. I found out that these shouchus are truly delicate, and a great deal of care is taken at each and every stage of production, especially in the case of the limited edition products. I was truly moved by the pride taken by the staff at Kyoya as they carefully make these delicate shouchus.

At Kyoya, they have also mixed the locally produced “Hebesu”, a lime-like citrus fruit, with barley (mugi) shouchu to make a liqueur. They have other interesting products too, such as shouchu made using dates. Kyoya stands as a brewery and distillery that is really trying to think outside the box and do something new, while preserving the conventional Kame production techniques. I hope that they continue to make great tasting shouchu with this interesting fusion of tradition and innovation.

About two years ago when I visited Kyoya Brewery, one of the staff in the storeroom showed me a Kankitsu, which was light green in color and a little smaller than your fist.

“Do you know what this is?”
“No, I’ve no idea.”
“It’s a local speciality of Hyuga. We call them Hebesu. They have a unique fragrance and taste really tangy. Right now we’re researching ways of using them to make shouchu,” he told me proudly.

The result of that hard work is “Hebess Ronde”, a highly refined sweet liqueur, which is pretty and light green in appearance. This new product is proving to be extremely popular, and one bar is even using it to make cocktails. That bar is Bar Abby in Roppongi – and that’s where we’re going to drop in on today!

Bar Abby, in fact, ranks among the highest performers of all the bars related to Kyoya web. The reason for this is that they have been stocking Kyoya shouchu, especially Kameshizuku, from years back, and have acquired a great reputation.

“Well it’s partially because I’m originally from Miyazaki, but when I started this bar, I did so because I wanted more people to know about the great taste of shouchu. I’m happy to say it’s become incredibly popular with the customers,” explains Bar Abby’s landlord, Imamura Yoshiteru.

It appears that Imamura has been using Kyoya shouchu at a range of different events. The Kyoya shouchu delivered to Aoyama Top Note while he was working there must have really got his “Hyugan” blood pumping!

“Some time back, I bought 48 bottles of Kameshizuku from Kyoya, poured them into a large custom-made bottle, and organized a “Nomihoudai” (drink-as-much-as-you-like party) for the customers with the other bars that we are affiliated with. It was a great success, and by the end the bottle was pretty much empty. Kameshizuku is smooth and delicious, and I think it really suits people living in the city.”

This is the guy who is going to make cocktails for me using Hebess Ronde! And what’s more, we are also going to blow the doors wide open on those cocktail recipes!!

“Well although we call them recipes, they’re actually pretty simple! The base liqueur tastes really good, and so it’s best not to do too much to it,” says Imamura as he starts making the first of the cocktails described below.

1. Hebess Cubano
This is actually pretty much the same recipe as the famous cocktail Sol Cubano. For those of you who are not familiar with Sol Cubano, it is a cocktail that was originally created by a Japanese bartender, and is now loved by many people around the world. Today, however, is the first time I have tried Hebess Cubano, in which the rum base used in Sol Cubano is replaced with Hebess Ronde.

How to make Hebess Cubano
(1) Start by making “rock” ice (or ice cubes). Put about 3 or 4 of these in the glass, so that the glass is neatly filled.

(2) Half fill the glass with Hebess Ronde.


(3) Prepare some fresh hand squeezed grapefruit juice, and pour about 1/3 glass of this into the glass.


(4) Add tonic water up to the brim of the glass.


Stir the cocktail, and you’re done.

From its beautiful light green appearance, to the way that the freshness of the grapefruit and its slightly bitter fragrance complement the aroma of Hebesu, this drink is absolutely fantastic. Hebess Ronde is actually a very sweet liqueur, but this sweetness is tempered by adding grapefruit juice, and a more mature flavor obtained.

“I think Hebess Ronde has a truly sophisticated flavor. As a bartender I find it really interesting; the bitterness of the peel, and the way the aroma gradually builds up yet at the same time stays delicious. It’s also good served simply as a liqueur, and even better on the rocks.、That’s possibly because the shouchu used as the base is really great……Anyway, Yamamoto, I know another interesting drink that I’m sure you’ll like. You have to try it!”
says Imamura as he starts to slice up a cucumber. He then takes the sliced cucumber, and starts to cut it into square pieces.
“This one is…well…let’s call it…Hebess Cucumber.”

2. Hebess Cucumber

How to make Hebess Cucumber
(1) Slice the cucumber, dice it, and then place it in the glass.



(2) Use the spoon side of a cocktail stirrer to push the cucumber lightly against the side of the glass so that the juice and aroma are released. Do not crush the cucumber!

(3) Add enough Hebess Ronde such that you can still just smell the aroma of the cucumber, and then stir.


(4) Add finely crushed ice, and serve accompanied with thin slices of cucumber.

If you drink Hebess Ronde on its own, then you will find that it has a sweet fragrance and is in fact quite sweet to the taste, but just adding the cucumber conjures up a refreshing and fresh sensation. This is a really pleasant surprise; they have a great affinity for each other. Cucumbers are a type of gourd, and as such have a strong and unique fragrance, but the raw flavor disappears when mixed with Kankitsu, and it actually makes Hebess Ronde taste much more sophisticated.

“Wow! That’s great. So fresh, and really more stylish than I expected!”
“I thought you’d like it! Actually, one of our regular customers and I came up with it together. We wanted to use the liqueur to make something a bit more exciting…and then it struck us…how about mixing it with cucumber? It really hits the mark!”

Seriously, the result is a nice surprise. If you ever have the chance of visiting Bar Abby, you should definitely check this drink out. It manages to be intriguing, and yet at the same time fairly orthodox. I guarantee that it will help you freshen up after eating some greasy food.

Hebess Ronde, is in fact a fairly strong liqueur at 30% alcohol, and because I didn’t eat anything before drinking, I started to feel drunk really quickly. In that state, I found myself asking Imamura about himself…

“I was born in Sadowara-cho in Miyazaki Prefecture. When I was a student, I worked part time in the catering business, and…well…to cut a long story short, bartenders are popular with the ladies aren’t they (laughs)! After graduation, I talked with an acquaintance, who was a bartender, and he suggested learning how to cook. Following that, I started to work at a restaurant in Moto-machi in Kobe. Then there was the earthquake. The whole town was in a mess; it wasn’t a good time to be a bartender. Around that time, I heard about the Bartender School in Tokyo, and I decided to come up to Tokyo and give it everything I had. While in Tokyo I became familiar with Aoyama Top Note and asked the owner, Musashi, for a job. He was kind enough to take me on, and with that my life as a bartender began.”

Actually, I recall going to Top Note myself when Imamura san was working there. From that time, you could tell his Hyugan warmth and energy was something that all the customers could pick up on.

“This bar opened in May 2003, but the place itself has actually been here for many years. The previous owner received an offer from the owner of Top Note to take on the bar, and ultimately that is how I came to be assigned here. The interior design for the shop was done by the illustrious Uchida Shigeru. For me, it’s really quite an honor to be placed in charge of such a great bar, so I really try my best to make it a success.”

Bar Abby, which is already popular in Roppongi, is also famous for its live jazz piano performances. Even though it is in Roppongi, fortunately it is located away from the glare of the spotlight and is ideally suited to the connoisseur. Having said that, each of the seats in the place is very relaxed, and the bar maintains its position as a place into which you can stop off and enjoy a drink.

“When it comes to Kyoya shouchu, in all honesty, I really like their traditional shouchus such as Kanro. As a local to Miyazaki, the potato smell is something that I like. But for non-locals, especially those from Kanto, Kameshizuku is perhaps easier to drink. It has no particular idiosyncrasies, it’s refined, and if you add a little water it exudes a wonderful aroma. If you get a chance to come here, you have to check it out! Of course we’ll always be happy to serve you a Hebess Ronde cocktail too!”

The material for this article was obtained at six o’clock in the evening on a Monday; a time when you really wouldn’t expect many people to be out drinking, but nevertheless, customers were starting to arrive as we talked. Coming for a drink to kick off the night I guess! Imamura winks as he goes off to pull a few beers.
Cool assured workmanship, and a warm Hyugan spirit. Clearly Imamura’s exquisite Kyoya shouchu cocktails were born from the combination of these two extremes.
At Bar Abby, delicious Kyoya shouchu is quietly breathing a breath a fresh air into the glare and bustle of Roppongi. I truly recommend Kyoya fans try this place at least once.

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Bar Abby
Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi 7-chome, 8-2 Arukasaru Yagi 8F
03-3408-1367
18:00~02:00
Closed on Sundays and national holidays.

Hi! It’s vagabond gastronomer Yamaken here, taking my turn to write the second entry in the blog.
While the main way to drink potato shouchu may be mixing it with hot or cold water, there has also been an increase in those enjoying it on the rocks. For me, this means that people have come to understand the flexibility and potential of shouchu. I have even started to wonder whether it can be used to make cocktails. But then again…I’ve never heard of a potato shouchu based cocktail. Of course there is the white liquor based Chuhai, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about cocktails based on original shouchu.
With this question in mind, I asked the staff of one of my favorite haunts, Bar Opa in Monzennaka, to take part in an interview and tasting session. Bar Opa a subsidiary of the famous store based in Ginza. The guy who runs the bar in Monzennaka is Mr. Mizusawa, who as you may know was the overall winner of the National Bartender Contest that was held the other day.
We gave Mizusawa six types of Kyoya shouchu, and asked him and his staff to taste them for us. We also asked him for a bartender’s point of view on the kind of cuisine that would complement these shouchus, and whether he thought potato shouchu would be suitable for making cocktails. A very cushie number…I’m sure you agree!
So with no further adieu, let’s introduce the six shouchus. Here we go…the basic ingredients, processing, and type of malt all revealed in one go! There’s just no end to this fanaticism!

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)

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Guest taster: Mizusawa Yasuhiko
Born: 1971
Place of Birth: Nagano Prefecture
Credentials: Overall winner of the 31st National Bartender Contest!!

Thanks so much for today! How’s things going?

Well we’ve tasted the six types of shouchu. They are really great potato shouchus aren’t they! I don’t get much of chance to try Japanese liquor, but it’s definitely good. All the staff here got together for a thorough tasting session after shutting up shop.

Well, we used special tasting glasses. Starting with straight shouchu, then trying it with just a little water, then with ice, and lastly mixed with water.
Each of the six types are really distinct. For example, the ones which give off an aroma when you add a little water are the Kanekyo Kanro, the Kanro, and the Tokusen Kanro. In fact, especially the Kanro, and Tokusen Kanro. They’re kind of like whiskey, in that if you drink them straight the smell of the alcohol can be so overpowering that you can’t quite catch the real flavor. But if you add just a little water, they release a hidden aroma. They’re really quite intriguing.

For me, the best was the Kanro. Out of all six types, this one has the best aroma. It brought back these nostalgic memories of the smell at the back of the storeroom at my place back home in Shinshu where we used to keep casks of homemade pickles…I guess it’s the aroma of fermenting that I remember! Actually, the other staff preferred the Tokusen Kanro, but for me the Kanro is the best.

I guess we should tell you that when we passed the six shouchus to Mizusawa, we didn’t tell him which was which. It was actually a blind test…and yet his choice, the Kanro, however, is the most orthodox shouchu. It seems his drinking sense lives up to his great reputation!

Yeah, actually the Kanekyo Kanro and the Jidaigura Kanro bare an interesting resemblance to vodka. I presume it’s because both of these shouchus are made using black malt. In fact, to be more specific, they are similar to North European vodka. There are actually three types of vodka, North European, American, and Russian. The one that is said to be the most pure and clear is the North European vodka, and it is this one that these shouchus are similar to.

The Superlight Kanro seems to be dominated a little by the alcohol. It’s pretty pungent. In that way, this one is similar to vodka too. As I said, I prefer the Kanro, but among the staff the Tokusen Kanro was the most popular. It certainly had a fruity easy to drink feel to it.

I couldn’t tell whether the method of preparing the main ingredients had much of an effect. Although, if there were two shouchus made from the same main ingredients and by the same distillation methods, then I think I could spot the effect of differences in the method of preparing the main ingredients.

Well, I suspected they might go well with potato dishes, so we tried a few, and they were indeed a good complement. For example, even just with normal potato salad the combination of potato with potato had a multiplying effect, and they really complemented each other well.
As I expected, they also went really well with our fried potatoes. We make them Toscana style, fried with garlic and herbs, and the strong flavors make for a really great match. I think it comes down to bringing out the original flavor of the potatoes in these dishes.

I wanted to try some too…but the alcohol content of the shouchus is a little weak for making cocktails. Because the alcohol content is low, when we add other ingredients it becomes really weak, and that kind of defeats the point of making cocktails. At 20~25% alcohol, they aren’t really that suitable for making cocktails.
I kind of think that shouchu is more enjoyable served on it’s own, and not really suited to being mixed with other flavors. For instance, if you add say passion fruit to shouchu, it really just fouls up that distinctive potato flavor. I’m sure that there is something that would really complement these shouchus, but the shouchus themselves need a higher alcohol content to work well in cocktails.

Hmm…as a bartender, I really look for something that is a bit coarse and has a strong flavor. Coarse is good! Because then you have something to which you can easily add or remove other ingredients. Also, I really want a shouchu that grabs me as having something that distinguishes it from other drinks.
Kyoya shouchu is on the whole really charming and unpretentious, because basically you just drink it as it is. On the other hand, if you want to make cocktails, then I’d be looking something a little stronger. Hey, it would be great if that was the next stage of development for the Kanro and Tokusen Kanro! Really, I think that these two would be really well received in Tokyo.

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What I found really interesting was that Mizusawa and his staff recommended shouchus made by high temperature distillation. Perhaps it’s because bartenders prefer the stronger aroma achieved by high temperature distillation. Judging from the interview, this could be because when you mix them with other flavors, the strong aroma will remain till the end. In any case, it was great to learn about how the professionals do their tasting. It seems that adding even just a little water can make a great difference. I’ll be trying that out at home next time!
Mizusawa requested stronger shouchu, so I should get in touch with the Kyoya president, Mr. Watanabe, and ask him to dispatch some undiluted liquor! I look forward to trying the cocktails!
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Featured bar/restaurant: Bar Opa (Monzennaka machi)
Address: 204 Nikku Haimu Hachi Man, Tomioka 1-25-4, Koutou-ku, Tokyo-to
TEL: 03-5245-3539

This time round we took our shouchu and dropped in on AOBA in Nakameguro, Tokyo. The first time I came here was with someone from a club I was in at university, and I’ve been a regular ever since. With a great combination of fabulous cooking, wide shouchu assortment, the great owner, and not to mention the cool atmosphere, I completely fell in love with the place.
So yeah…we took with us six types of Miyazaki shouchu. You can see these in the first photo, Kameshizuka, Superlight Kanro, Kanekyo Kanro, Kanro, Tokusen Kanro, Jidaigura Kanro (from left to right). Each of these is slightly different whether it be the alcohol percentage, type of malt, type of potato, even down to the way the potatoes are peeled.
Today, the owner of AOBA, Mr. Hayama, is going to check these out for us. We’re going to be chatting about shouchu and asking his opinion of the six shouchus. Meanwhile I’ll be trying some of his incredible cooking, which is incidentally the perfect complement to shouchu!
“Miyazaki’s shouchus tend to be about 20% alcohol, and many of them are really easy on the palette,” comments AOBA’s owner as we settle down for the evening. By this time I’m really wondering what kind of food goes well with these shouchus? And what are we going to talk about!! I’m so looking forward to this!

Before we moved onto the main event, we quenched our thirst with some Ebisu beer, and also tried some Komgagi Dadacha beans from Yamagata Prefecture. Check them out! They’re so incredibly furry! This fur and the sweet aroma that exudes when you boil Dadacha beans is their defining characteristic. If you eat these straight after boiling, when they are brimming with flavor, the sweet taste will come surging forth…. knock that back with a cool fresh beer, and it is truly orgasmic!

Hayama handles all the cooking at AOBA, and on the night we dropped by he was very busy. Until things cooled off a little in the kitchen, I decided to try out a few dishes myself and see how well they went with shouchu. Firstly, thinking “if it’s got potato in it then it’ll be good”, I decided to go for the deep fried sato imo (I believe you call them taros in English). In this dish, the sato imoes were deep fried and served with a pinch of salt. They’re crispy on the outside, and this makes for an exquisite balance with the sticky inside. When added to this sticky sensation, the shouchu we brought with us resonates even more with the flavor of the sato imoes. It was an excellent and a very reassuring start to the evening!!
If you want to refresh after the greasy deep fried food, then I recommend the fresh Kameshizuku, Superlight Kanro, or the Kanekyo Kanro. If you want to enjoy the combination of sato imo and sweet potato, then I’m sure the Kanro, Tokusen Kanro, and Jidaigura would be a great complement. With such a range of shouchus, you can really have a lot of fun choosing the best shouchu for what you want to eat.

Anyway, let’s move on. Next up...I asked Mr. Hayama for some of his general views on shouchu and cooking…
“Even when we talk about Kyushu shouchu there is clear categorization, such as Kagoshima shouchu is made from potatoes, and Kumamoto shouchu from rice. Miyazaki represents the crossover point of all these shouchu cultures. There they have potato, rice, and barley shouchu. None of them have an overpowering aroma or flavor, and so they’re all easy to drink. That’s why they complement all kinds of dishes.”
Considering that shouchu is already said to be great with food, to further say that it isn’t overpowering really means that it can meet a wide demand. For people who want to chill out and enjoy food and drink, shouchu is sure to be warmly welcomed. But having said that, what we are looking for today is something that complements shouchu perfectly, and AOBA’s owner suggests jidori (naturally grown chicken). I think many of you may already know that Mayazaki is famous for a range of dishes made from jidori, including charcoal grilled chicken and southern fried chicken dishes. Local dishes and local shouchu!…without hesitation I started by trying the charcoal grilled jidoril!!

In this case, the jidori was actually farmed in Tokushima. The front right of the photo shows the heart, and at the back white liver. White liver can only be obtained from about 1 in 20 chickens. The jidori was charcoal grilled, and then mixed with a sauce containing sesame seeds and yuzu pepper, lemon is added to taste. “It’s fresh, so we only need to grill it lightly. But the heart has to be cooked for longer… it tastes better if it’s a bit firmer,” says Hayama.

Even the preparation is interesting!　Despite the fact it was only cooked for a moment, it is actually really firm and tasty to the bite. But what really sets this great dish off is the yuzu pepper and lemon. On cooking the liver, it loses a lot of its fat, and doesn’t have that raw meat smell. And then when you try it with the shouchu…Mmmmm…perfect! Actually, I didn’t even notice what is often referred to as the potato smell of the shouchu. And by saying that, I don’t mean that it’s a non-potato potato shouchu…it certainly leaves a great after taste. What I mean is that the shouchu doesn’t overpower the wonderful taste of the jidori, yet at the same time the strong flavor of the jidori does not constrain the flavor of the shouchu.
I also asked Hayama for his thoughts on the shouchus and how they should be drunk.
“Kameshizuku is really easy to drink, even for newcomers to shouchu. I like it straight. The aroma of the Kanekyo Kanro suggests that it is made from black malt. The Kanro is a really well-balanced shouchu. It has the distinctive flavor obtained from the Kogane Sengan potato. It tastes great on the rocks. The Tokusen Kanro is made using white malt and by atmospheric distillation, so it will probably taste good served with hot water. Generally speaking, atmospheric distillation of white malt yields shouchus that go well with hot water.”

We have only had time to cover which dishes each of the shouchus best complement, and I didn’t go as far as to consider whether they should be served straight, on the rocks, with cold water, or with hot water. Nevertheless, it is so interesting to hear the Hayama’s informed opinion about the ways to drink shouchu, and complementary dishes.
Hayama also made me maguro chutoro (medium fatty tuna cut from the upper belly) to go with the Kameshizuka. The tuna was freshly delivered today from Oma in Aomori Prefecture. Hayama cooked it just quickly on one side, and served it with ponzu (a sauce containing soy sauce and vinegar or citrus juice) to give a very refreshing dish.
“Japanese sake plays the roll of neutralizing dishes, while shouchu is thought to relieve the oiliness. This shouchu actually performs both of these rolls,” says Hayama “It acts to both soften the fresh smell of the fish, and really helps wash away the oil.”
It was the Kameshizuku, endowed with both of these characteristics, that Hayama served with the oily fish. It truly did tone down the fresh smell of the fish, thereby delivering a very refreshing dish that was most enjoyable! As Hayama suggested, the shouchu and maguro chutoro blend together in your mouth to give a unique taste sensation. First, a delightful mellowness forms in your mouth, and this is then followed by a refreshing sensation. This is the kind of experience that makes you feel glad to be alive!
It appears the various shouchus can be a complement to a range of different dishes, so you really can choose to drink them in whatever style you like.
As a writer, there is nothing that would make me happier than if this blog either creates even more interest among shouchu lovers, or sparks the interest of those who had previously given shouchu a wide berth. With the aim of making a blog to do just that, I’ll be listing my ideas each and every day. Please drop by and see us again!!

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Featured bar/restaurant: AOBA
Address: 1F Meguro Haitsu (Heights), Aobadai 3-22-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo-to 153-0042
Tel/Fax: 03-3716-8600
Dinner:
7:30pm ~ 3:00pm (Mon~Thu)
7:00pm ~ 5:00am (Fri~Sat)
(Closed on Sundays and National Holidays)

Experiments in Gastronomy - Shouchu and Dish X…Do they go well together?
The Insider - We get behind the scenes at well-known bars and restaurants, and ask the chefs to suggest their ideas for dishes that go well with shouchu
Industrial Secrets - See the secrets behind the making of potato shouchu!!
Japanese Shouchu Culture - we ask whether it is making it overseas?

Bringing you all this and more, will be me Yamaken, your vagabond gastronomist, and Chie, sake connoisseur and aspiring wine expert. We hope that you get to know us over the next couple months!