A History of Shochu
Shochu is a traditional Japanese form of alcohol. Although it is equally as popular as sake in Japan, this popularity has not spread beyond Japanese shores. Unlike sake, which is a fermented rice wine, shochu is distilled from grains or nuts such as rice, millet or chestnuts.
Shochu is a traditional Japanese form of alcohol. Although it is equally as popular as sake in Japan, this popularity has not spread beyond Japanese shores. Unlike sake, which is a fermented rice wine, shochu is distilled from grains or nuts such as rice, millet or chestnuts.
Shochu was originally called Awamori and was first distilled in Okinawa prefecture in the early 15th Century. The idea was thought to have come through the influence of Thai traders. Over the next two centuries, shochu’s popularity spread throughout the country and various different methods of brewing evolved. By the beginning of the 17th Century, the original Okinawan Awamori was regarded as a premium shochu and was used for medicinal purposes by the Edo shogunate. |
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), the process of making shochu dramatically changed. A distilling company in the Ehime prefecture in Shikoku Island produced shochu made of dried sweet potatoes. The resulting shochu was so successful that the manufacturers could not keep up with the demand and it remains the most fundamental way of currently brewing shochu. During this period, brewers keen to establish their own unique brands also experimented using different types of ingredients including enzyme, potatoes, barley, buckwheat and chestnuts. |
In the Taishou era (1912-1926), the price of rice skyrocketed so the sake industry was largely affected. On the other hand, as most shochu is not made of rice, shochu making boomed. However, it only continued until about 1938 due to WWII. During the war, the distillers made alcohol for military purposes but this ended in 1950. Japan faced severe food shortages after the war and rice became precious. Again, the sake industry was affected and so shochu once more filled the gap, leading to “the first shochu golden era” which lasted from 1957-1974. |
For two decades from the early 1970s imported alcohol such as whisky, rum, bourbon, vodka and gin, became increasingly popular and for a while this affected the demand for shochu. However, in more recent decades this trend has reversed, partly as a result of the introduction of pre-mixed shochu drinks in 1983, and now sales of shochu in Japan trail only beer and sake in popularity. |