Shochu is a popular Japanese beverage with an average 25% alcohol content. It has been made since at least the 16th century in Japan. The beverage can be made from a variety of ingredients including sweet potatoes, barley, soba, rice, or brown sugar. A few other products like sesame or chestnut may also form the base of shochu or be added. With its alcoholic content, shochu is stronger than beer or wine, but not as strong as most “strong” drinks like whiskey, vodka or gin.

Shochu is made primarily on Kyushu, one of the small islands belonging to Japan. At one time, the drink was considered an “old man’s drink,” but careful marketing made the shochu market explode in 2004, with many young people, especially young women, purchasing large quantities of shochu. Unlike many other hard drinks, shochu is much lower in calories, making it a popular drink. The shochu boom was not without its effects. It drastically reduced the sweet potato crop because demand for the drink was high.

Depending on the base, shochu can vary in taste. Brown sugar variants are not particularly sweet. Barley is considered to yield a mild taste, buckwheat milder still. Sweet potato shochu tastes strong, sometimes comparable to almonds. Most people either really enjoy or really dislike sweet potato shochu because of its distinct flavor notes. Rice shochu is usually one of the most favored forms.

Shochu may be consumed in a variety of ways. It can be drunk straight up or on the rocks. Many young adults who drink shochu, especially young women, mix the alcohol with fruit juice or sweetened green tea. Another popular drink is chuhai, which combines shochu with soda, flavoring and ice.

Chuhai is somewhat comparable to the American wine cooler. It’s quite sweet, and is frequently sold in cans and convenience stores or in vending machines. Another drink called hoppy is a mix of shochu and beer. Hoppy is also typically widely available in convenience stores.

Despite the many ingredients used to make shochu, there are essentially two types, called otusurui and korui. Korui is distinct from otusurui because it undergoes multiple distillations before being bottled. It is often thought best in cocktails. Otusurui is made through a single malt or single distillation process. This process often leaves the shochu with a smell and taste similar to the base ingredients. It is usually consumed in shots or over ice and considered of a higher grade than korui shochu.