INTRO
In episode 75 our hosts at long last profile the iconic and iconoclastic Chuko Distillery in Okinawa.
CREDITS
Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)
Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyrobotpodcast.com/)
HOSTS
CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before.
STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.
Stephen and Christopher are enormous fans of Chuko and everything they do.
If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Instgram. We would love to hear from you.
SHOW NOTES
Chuko Distillery
Established in 1949 by Chuko Oshiro, the Tomigusuku Distillery just south west of Naha City on the main island of Okinawa, is a medium sized awamori maker (900 kL/year) that certainly punches above its weight in no small part due to the passionate and talented president.
As with all awamori, Chuko uses 100% black koji inoculated rice to make all of their traditional spirits. Where they stand out from the 46 other active awamori makers is in their innovation. They’ve cultivated their own yeast strains, experimented with different koji propagation duration and temperature, and have even used Japanese domestic rice, which creates a wildly different expression than the industry standard of long grain Thai rice.
But where Chuko perhaps stands out most is in their revival of Tomigusuku pottery. With nearly a dozen potter’s wheels and 4 industrial kilns, Chuko makes all of their own ceramic aging pots – both those used in their aging warehouse and those sold to customers for home aging. The distillery began production of their ceramics in 1989 after 6 years of experimentation to find the right clay mixture, designs, and firing methods. Essentially all other awamori makers use the same ceramics all sourced from brokers. Chuko alone makes their own.
Visiting
Fortunately, Chuko is not far from the International Airport in Naha. If you’re feeling flush, you can take a taxi. If you’d rather save your yen, then take the Monorail to the nearest station and then walk about 15 minutes or figure out the local bus routes.
Walk-ins are welcome, but if you’re going as a group its probably good to call ahead (Japanese only so use your concierge or a local guide). This will likely open up the tasting bar that is not open to walk-ins.
Definitely pick the ceramic you love most and take it home. You won’t regret it. We’ve never regretted a dime we’ve spent in their shop.
Brands Discussed
Chuko (30% ABV) This is the flagship brand for the Chuko Distillery and the one most likely to be found in liquor stores around Japan. Available in both standard (aged <3 years) and kusu (aged 3+ years) versions, this is very representative of awamori as a category.
Chuko Kusu (43% ABV) Aged Chuko bottled as storage strength can run up to hundreds of dollars. It is typically bottled at 3, 5, 10, and 15 years of age though the older ages are harder to find and much more expensive.
Yume Koukai (30% ABV) This vacuum distilled expression is made with sake yeast, giving it a distinct green apple aroma. The brand name was revived from mothballed awamori, but with new anime-esque packaging and a very unusual fruit forward profile. Lovely with sparkling water.
Yokka Koji (43% ABV) Yokka Koji is, as Christopher says in the episode, a shapeshifter. It presents grain, fruit, dairy, and toasted coconut. The unique (and largely secret) 4 day koji process makes this a singularly unique awamori. The president recommends drinking it as a frozen shot. Stephen thinks it improves any vodka cocktail on the planet.
Yokka Koji Mango Yeast (43% ABV) This one may be hard to find as its only made periodically and it sells out very fast, but if you happen across a bottle try it or buy it. All of the interesting character of Yokka Koji with a completely unexpected yeast profile.
Much More to Explore
As always, there is more to learn from listening to the episode or following Stephen and Christopher social media.
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