Shochu Gumi n.021: Kanpai to 5 Years w. Cocktails
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since Shochu Gumi was born, in December
2019. This was huge year for me – I bought a house and had a baby (yes, she’s 5
now too!); Yoko and I moved our shop from downtown Oakland to the Temescal
neighborhood (no small feat!); we wrote the Sake + Shochu Talk Zine (which was
the catalyst for our upcoming sake book being released in Spring 2026!), and I
started our lil shochu club to end the year with a bang. These days, I don’t nearly
have as much energy like I did in 2019, but I’m proud that Shochu Gumi is still
going – 80 members strong, across the U.S.!
What better way to celebrate five years of Shochu Gumi and the holidays than
with shochu + awamori cocktails??!? Our bartender Griffin has created simple
recipes for your upcoming parties or cozy nights at home. We hope you enjoy
them!
Thank you all for your support and membership through the years. If it weren’t
for you, there would be no club. The landscape for shochu is different from where
it was in 2019 – the category is growing nationwide, and I’d like to think that our
club has a hand in that. We’re bringing in a lot of new shochus and awamoris for
the club (like this month’s Seifuku Vintage Awamori!), and importers are starting
to see value in having a wider portfolio of this Japanese spirit.
While it seems that sweet potato shochu and awamori continue to be the most
popular, everyone has their preferred shochu – what is yours? I’ll be sending you
a survey about what you’d like to see more of for the next five years, and beyond. want your feedback! As for my 2025 plans, I will continue to travel to the southern islands in February to learn more about drinks, the makers, the culture, and find more delicious bottles to import for the club. And with the success of the Awamori Festival this past August, I hope to organize events like this more often.
Happy Holidays,
Kayoko
Seifuku Vintage Awamori
Seifuku Shuzo (Ishigaki, Okinawa)
Shochu Gumi Exclusive!
We loved this awamori when we tried it at Seifuku Distillery earlier this year and I am so excited to share it with y’all as we end 2024. This bold awamori is genshu (tank strength), so you are getting truly unadulterated, real deal flavors of aged awamori. Taste the island!
Tasting notes: Shoyu, clay, citrus pith
Food Pairing: Beef Bourguignon, Taco Rice (see my recipe here!)
Bartender Pro Tip: Use awamori in place of tequila.
Blithe & Bitter Cocktail
by Griffin Dehne
2 oz Seifuku Awamori
1 oz Pear Juice
0.25 oz Campari
0.25 oz Lemon
3 dashes Umami Mart Bitters
If more sweetness is desired, add 0.25 oz simple syrup
Method: Shake hard for 10-15 seconds, serve in a coupe.
Express lemon peel oil over top and garnish.
+++
Bukeyashiki Sweet Potato Shochu
Chiran Distillery (Chiran, Kagoshima)
Distilled from 83% Koganesengan sweet potatoes + 17% Thai rice koji / ABV 25% / Koji: White / Distillation: Atmospheric / Aged in enamel tanks for 2-3 years
Nobu Mori married into the Chiran family as fourth generation owner and toji, and says about shochu making: “We take to heart the words passed down from our predecessor, ‘don’t make it with machines, make it with your five senses.’”
Tasting notes: Custard, papaya, powdered sugar
Food Pairing: Bratwurst + sauerkraut, gyoza
Bartender Pro Tip: Use Bukeyashiki instead of gin or vodka for your next martini
Naughty Toddy Cocktail
by Griffin Dehne
3 oz Bukeyashiki Imo Shochu
1 oz Apple Juice
1 oz Umeshu
0.25 oz Lemon Juice
3 dashes Umami Mart Bitters
Tiny pinch of salt
Method: Heat to 140°F-160°F and add to your favorite mug. Top with lemon wheel and grated nutmeg
