Shochu & awamori

1. 1

   The sugar

   Koji: steamed rice or barley grown with Aspergillus mould (white or black koji), whose enzymes free the sugar of the main ingredient: sweet potato in Kagoshima and Miyazaki, barley, rice, even buckwheat.

2. 2

   The ferment

   Koji and yeast first, then the main ingredient; awamori is all koji, one stage.

3. 3

   The still

   Honkaku shochu is distilled once in a pot still, so it keeps much of its raw material. Awamori of Okinawa uses long-grain rice and black koji.

4. 4

   The wait

   Mostly young; awamori aged three years and more is called kusu.

The rules

• Honkaku (authentic) shochu: single distillation, no more than 45% abv
• Awamori: rice and black koji, made in Okinawa

In the glass

Sweet potato: earthy and sweet; barley: toasty; rice: soft and clean.