If you're looking for an well-written and extremely easy to understand rundown of what makes shochu and awamori unique, then look no further than Chef Marc Matsumoto's website, No Recipes. Marc splits his time between talking food trends and cooking on TV, creating content for his website, reinventing classic recipes, and leading cooking classes at various studios around … [Read more...]
Okuchi Distillery: A Kagoshima Favorite from the Isa Basin
The earliest known written reference to shochu was discovered at Kōriyama Hachiman Shrine in the small valley city of Isa, Kagoshima. Dating from 1559, the reference is actually graffiti, a protest by the carpenters who hid their complaint within the roof’s rafters. They were upset that they were not given any shochu while working on the shrine, a considerable slight since the … [Read more...]
PRESS RELEASE: Maction Planet Releases Line of Shochu-themed T-shirts
Maction Planet is proud to announce that it is has become the exclusive global distributor of Shochu.Pro apparel. This continues the ongoing collaboration of Maction Planet and Shochu.Pro, which began with providing bespoke Shochu and Sake experiences to Maction Planet Tokyo travel customers. They also recently worked together on the sold-out Maction Planet x Shochu.Pro … [Read more...]
Updated: Sake and Shochu Academy February 2017 Dates Announced!
The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) recently announced that it will hold its second ever "kokushu" certification course. The course, which runs from February 5-9 and costs ￥100,000 (accommodations included), is designed to give attendees an up-close look at these drinks that can't be gleaned from books. The first day will involve seminars about shochu, … [Read more...]
Sanwa Shurui – Oita Prefecture
Putting Barley Shochu on the World Map The first honkaku shochu boom took place in the late 1970s, and some of the best-selling and most influential brands during that time came from Oita Prefecture. These mild and smooth barley products helped alert the rest of the country that honkaku shochu is a delicious, sessionable spirit, and Sanwa Shurui has been carrying the Oita … [Read more...]