This is a Shochu Gumi selection! It was featured in March 2024

Yu Ikehara is making huge waves with the use of Inui – a black koji strain that was long lost after the war. Resurrecting it here in this bottle, the strain Aspergillus Luchuensis aka Inui helps create an awamori that incorporates umami, acidity, and depth. It has won several international awards and is a bombshell of a drink. And dammit, how on earth does it taste like it’s been aging for years?!?? That, my friends, must be the magical, historic Inui mold.

Tasting notes: Earth, saline, lavender, licorice.
Food Pairing: Cheddar, cioppino, burger.
How to Drink: Sodawari (with club soda and ice).
Ikehara Tip: Moscow Mules, Espresso Martinis, and various coffee cocktails.

Read Kayoko's visit to the distillery in Okinawa.

Ikehara Shuzo is a small Awamori distillery with only three employees. The red-tiled roof of the distillery stands in a quiet residential area in the center of Ishigaki Island, and since its establishment, the Awamori has been produced by three generations of the same family. By preserving the hand-crafted traditions of the old distillery and constantly refining techniques and taste, Ikehara Shuzo’s Shirayuri Awamori stands out as a unique and delicious spirit.

Features

• Distilled in Okinawa, Japan by Ikehara Shuzo
• Distilled from 100% Thai Long Grain
• Koji: Black
• Distillation: Atmospheric, Jikabi (Direct flame)
• ABV:44%
• Age: stainless steel 1 week
• 25 oz (750ml)