INTRO
In the 60th episode of the Japan Distilled podcast, your hosts take a long, hard look at koji cocktails. That is, cocktails made with koji based spirits.
CREDITS
Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)
Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.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 have gradually been won over to the world of cocktails.
If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Twitter. We would love to hear from you.
SHOW NOTES
Koji … Cocktails?
Koji spirits, collectively honkaku shochu, ryukyu awamori, koji whiskies, and gins made with a koji spirit base (usually redistilled shochu or awamori) are beginning to make their presence felt in American cocktail bars.
The Japanese spirits industry has certainly been pushing shochu and awamori as low proof alternative spirits bases for well over a deacde and the ascendance of the low proof cocktail may have finally created the momentum necessary for this shift.
Since there was no native cocktail tradition in Japan as we discussed in Episode 58 on classic Japanese cocktails, these spirits do not have classic cocktail recipes to rely on. Therefore, they either need to be considered as substitutes for western cocktails, or new cocktails need to be developed.
The Leading Edge
Jesse Falowitz and Taeko Ichioka of Mizu Shochu can really be said to be the originators of the koji cocktail. Their Mizu Shochu line of spirits has been in cocktail bars in New York City and beyond for a full decade at this point. In fact, the flirtybird has been on the menu at Angel’s Share for a full 9 years.
Following in their footsteps has been Nankai Shochu out of Los Angeles whose social media is all cocktails all the time and newcomer Mujen, which has all the glitz and glamor you would expect from a brand developed in the shadows of Hollywood Hills.
Applications
The easiest application for koji spirits is as a replacement for another spirit in a classic cocktail. But they are classics for a reason so the koji spirit needs to either change the profile or enhance the drink in some way.
Using examples from the Honkaku Spirits portfolio, because that’s the portfolio we are most familiar with, Colorful Sweet Potato Shochu can serve as an excellent gin replacement in a negroni or an alaska. In the case of the negroni, Colorful creates an aromatic profile quite different from a classic gin negroni. In the case of the alaska, sweet potato shochu makes this particular koji cocktail a completely different experience than a gin-based alaska.
Another application, of course, is to create original koji cocktails as Angel’s Share did with the flirtybird Mizu Shochu Cocktail. This gives bartenders (professional or at home) the chance to be creative with other Japanese ingredients. Shiso leaf, pickled plum, wasabi, yuzu kosho, miso … the possibilities are exciting. As we discussed in Episode 58B, Yokka Koji Awamori ended up the best spirit options for the top 2 finalists of our first ever Koji Spirits Cocktail Competition.
And finally, there is the potential for a split base cocktail as was done at Death & Co. in NYC with their Adreneline Rush cocktail, which split Takamine Koji Whiskey with Overproof Jamaican Rum and Rye Whiskey to create a boozy flavor bomb.
More to Explore
Perhaps the most fun with koji cocktails is making them for yourself. Experiment, learn, try different brands to see how they change the resulting koji cocktail.
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