Dragonfly Restaurants “Our Table” Blog Post: Shōchū 101
Posted on: 05.18.2017
Unique and Exotic, Shōchū is the National Sprit of Japan and it’s quickly gaining popularity in bar and food culture across the United States. We’ve been singing its praises since way back in 1996, so here’s a few quick pointers, tips, and recommendations to help you get ahead of the trend and order up something new next time you hit the “decompress” button. Here are a couple quick Shōchū facts:
- It’s a clear, distilled spirit that can be made from several different raw materials like rice, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, or buckwheat; however, more than half of all shōchūs are made from barley.
- It typically contains about 25% alcohol by volume, which is weaker than both whisk(e)y and vodka. While single distilled versions are the norm, multiple-distilled variety’s can contain up to 35% alcohol by volume and is frequently used in mixed drinks.
- It’s less fruity than sake, and often described as “nutty” or “earthy.”
- Like scotch and whisk(e)y, it can be enjoyed in a variety of ways:
- Straight or Neat: on its own with nothing added
- Roku: on the rocks
- Mizuwari: with cold water
- Oyuwari: with hot water
Why’s is Shōchū Popular?
In one word, versatility. Because Shōchū can be distilled from so many different starches, it’ easily crafted to take on an unlimited number of characteristics. This makes it very easy to pair with foods. That versatility is expanded when you consider the number of ways it can be consumed—each one having an effect on the taste profile.
Because one word is never enough, we wanted to share why it appeals to the more health conscious among us. While all spirits contain an enzyme that helps dissolve blood clots (urokinase), Shōchū contains more than 2x as much as wine, and 80 percent more than sake, which came in second in a recent Miyazaki Medical College Study.
One final note—it’s an LOW-CALORIE spirit! Most traditional cocktail recipes call for 1.5oz of main liquor (gin, vodka, run, whisk(e)y, etc). This adds roughly 100 calories to the drink, and that’s before you add in the mixers! In that same amount of Shōchū, the calorie count is about 30 calories. With a simple substitution, you can save almost 70 calories per drink—Kanpai!
Should you Shōchū?
Absolutely, and now’s the time to do it!
During our daily Happy Hour (Mon-Fri 3-7; Sat-Sun 5-7), all Shōchū’s – including our house made infusions – are 50% off. If you can’t make it during Happy Hour, join us for our Shōchū Sunday tasting event on June 25th from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Click HERE for details and tickets.
Now is the perfect time to get outside your comfort zone, be adventurous, and experience something new. Join us and raise a glass to Shōchū!