This webinar, held in partnership with the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, was part of a series exploring the world of Japanese drinks.
Discover Japan’s most popular domestic spirit, shōchū, which is known for its regional varieties and wide array of flavours and aromas, imparted by diverse base ingredients including sweet potatoes, barley, rice, buckwheat and brown sugar.
A talk on the distinctive qualities of shōchū by certified shōchū expert and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher Pellgrini, is followed by a virtual tour of Komasa distillery (Komasa Jyozo Co., Ltd.), a shōchū distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture with over 130 years of distilling history.
Stephen Lyman, author of The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, lead the distillery tour, joining the Chief Distiller in conversation to discuss the complex craftsmanship of shōchū making.
