How do you drink Nihonshu?

When drinking, although you may be tempted to do a “sake shot,” given the size of the cup, you should sip slowly, like you would a fine wine. Nihonshu is also often paired with things such as raw fish and other foods of delicate flavors, so enjoy the set one bite and sip at a time!

What do you mix shochu with?

Make your own chu-hai by mixing 50ml of shochu with 200ml of lemonade and serve in a tall glass with ice. Alternatively, you can use soda water and fruit flavours such as apple, peach or grape. Mix 50ml of shochu with 50ml of Midori or melon liqueur and 50ml of fresh lemon juice.

What does Nihonshu taste like?

Flavor. The flavor of good nihonshu is a balanced mixture of sweetness, acidity, astringency, bitterness, and (most importantly, perhaps) umami—a rich, savory quality, deriving from certain amino acids, that has been recognized as one of the five basic tastes.

Should shochu be refrigerated?

5) Storage Requirements. Many of premium Nihonshu need to be kept under refrigeration to maintain its good quality. After the bottle is opened, it is recommended to finish the Nihonshu within about three weeks. Shochu doesnʼt require this level of care because of its distillation process.

What is stronger sake or soju?

Soju has a higher alcohol content than Sake. When Sake has about 15 to 17 per cent alcohol, Soju has about 15 to 46 per cent of alcohol in it. As said earlier, Sake is more related to wine. On the other hand, Soju has a likeness to whisky or Vodka.

Can shochu get you drunk?

Shochu is no exception. Shochu doesn’t need to be cooled before being drunk. This is because cold water is heavier than shochu and by pouring in the water after the shochu, the two will mix in the glass. On the other hand, when making oyuwari, since shochu is heavier than hot water, add the hot water first.

Is shochu similar to vodka?

Shochu is often compared to vodka, and the two are similar in both being distilled and typically clear, white spirits. Shochu is single distilled much like a whisky, and we also don’t filter, so we retain the character of the grain; and (2) vodka, like all western spirits, uses malted barley to sugarize the starches.

Can sake get you drunk?

Contrary to popular belief, most sakes are only about 40-proof, which renders them about half as strong as most whiskeys and vodkas. It is most often drunk alongside beer, but also sometimes with plum wine or Schochu (sweet-potato-based vodka).

What alcohol can’t be smelled on your breath?

Alcohol doesn’t have any smell. It’s the hops, barley and other “stuff” that you can smell on your breath. The answer is to drink a clear spirit (or white spirit! – perhaps not) such as vodka.

Who drinks shochu?

In the world of Japanese drinking, sake tends to get all the attention—love ’em or hate ’em, sake bombs did wonders for its name recognition. But often in Japan, particularly in Kyushu, the country’s southernmost island, the drink of choice is shochu.

Is shochu the same as soju?

While most soju allows the addition of flavouring, sweeteners and MSG, the rules for shochu are much stricter. Soju and shochu are both made from a base of fermented ingredients, often grain, such as rice or barley. While many diners associate shochu with Japan, it originates in Korea where it is called soju.