Discover: Ginger and paprika shochus from Ochiai Shuzojyo

Shochu is not just shochu, as you quickly realize when you taste the traditional Japanese distillate. And this doesn't just become clear quickly when you move around the same basic ingredient for shochu production. This is because 50 different types of sweet potato are used in the production of sweet potato shochu alone. There are also many different varieties of rice or barley shochu. 

There are a total of 53 approved raw materials from which shochu can be produced. These include rare candidates, such as shochu made from ginger or shochu made from green peppers, as produced by our manufacturer Ochiai Shuzojyo from Miyazaki. Owner Ryohei Ochiai is one of the most creative people in his industry: he likes to try out the unusual and produces fantastic results. His Kagamizu Ginger Shochu is simply distilled (Honkaku Shochu) and has a refreshing and crisp taste with a subtle spiciness. Ginger shochu is very rare. The production process uses 20% of the finest local ginger, barley for the secondary mash and rice koji using white koji. After production, the Kagamizu Ginger Shochu matures for two years in steel tanks. The ginger shochu is especially nice to enjoy warm in the colder months of the year, i.e. extended with warm water (1:2).

Click here for the Kagamizu Ginger Shochu.

The allspice shochu from Ochiai Shuzojyo is made from green peppers, a specialty from Miyazaki. The taste of this shochu is also very special: a ripe aroma of paprika, coupled with a spicy sweetness and heat, makes for an extremely refreshing drinking experience. This shochu can also add great spice to cocktails by adding a small amount. Around 10 peppers are used per bottle.
Incidentally, green peppers were introduced to Japan in the 19th century and were mainly cultivated as an ornamental plant. The popularity of peppers as a food increased after the Second World War, after many American products flowed into Japan. Today, Japanese green peppers are mainly grown in Miyazaki Prefecture and are available in supermarkets and local markets in Asia, Europe and selected regions in the USA.

Click here for the pimento shochu.