Shidax Hall in Shibuya played host once again to one of the biggest annual honkaku shochu events held in Tokyo, Shochu Renaissance. This year's event, the 18th iteration in its history, showcased products from nearly three dozen shochu and awamori distilleries on the afternoon of April 10th. And the makers were eager to show off the versatility of the drinks they brought … [Read more...]
Hitoyoshi Onsen Cocktail Event
Now running in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, is a multi-bar event showcasing cocktails that have been made with Kuma Jochu (rice). The Hitoyoshi Onsen Cocktail event will run through September 30th, 2016. Drink tickets can be purchased at six different locations in downtown Hitoyoshi, the heartland of the Kuma Jochu appellation. Those tickets can then be used at … [Read more...]
Shochu Scope: KURO, Daikaya, and Nihonshu Shochu and Sake Bar
Following up on last month's introduction of new places around the globe to enjoy shochu, Shochu Scope is back with some fresh finds. If you know of any good shochu bars in your area that you'd like us to feature, then send a link and brief description our way. We're especially interested in recently opened venues that haven't received that much press yet, but tried and … [Read more...]
Shochu Scope: SATO, The Woodstock Kushiyaki Bar, Two Ten Jack’s Chattanooga
It's nice to see shochu and awamori squeezing their way into more menus these days. It wasn't so long ago that most Japanese-themed or -fusion establishments outside of Japan only stocked nihonshu (saké), but it appears that our favorite drink's versatility is finally gaining recognition. In many cases, that recognition comes in the form of cocktails. Mixologists across the … [Read more...]