Last Updated on June 8, 2023 by Leah Hall
Using a Japanese Barley Liquor for these Shochu cocktails, we made a twist on the classic sidecar!
One of the coolest parts about developing and writing about cocktails and spirits is when we discover a spirit that was totally unknown to us. Sometimes we find new spirits when we travel (does anyone else love visiting distilleries, breweries and vineyards?) and sometimes we are lucky enough to get a spirit delivered right to our door so we can explore!
Japanese Sidecar
We dig getting booze mail, so when the folks at iichiko asked if we wanted to try some of their different expressions of shochu, we figured what better way to take a quick trip to Japan without leaving our kitchen?
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So if we were to ask you what you think is most popular alcoholic beverage in Japan, what would you say? If you are like us, you likely answered that question with either sake or one of the many varieties of Japanese whiskey, but you would be wrong!
Shochu
The most popular spirit in Japan is shochu, which is a true distilled spirit that is made from a variety of starches, from buckwheat, rice or even sweet potatoes, but the top quality shochu varieties are made with barley, and the best distiller of barley based shochu is famed Japanese distiller iichiko.
Shochu is often compared to sake, but unlike sake which is brewed like beer, shochu is a distilled spirit like vodka. Unlike vodka, shochu has a much more complex distillation process that starts with the selection of the grain. Like its slightly more famous cousin sake, there are different grades of shochu that are dependent on the amount of polished grain used in the distillation.
Like sake, the more the grain is polished, the smoother the the resulting shochu.
How to Use Shochu in a Cocktail
For this drink, we used iichiko’s Silhouette, a 100% barley shochu that is produced by polishing the barley down until 60% of the grain remains. The barlely is then mixed with yeast, koji (a special type of bacteria that causes fermentation, which equals alcohol!) and pure spring water and allowed to ferment until there is a mash that can be distilled.
The use of the koji results in that unique funky umami flavor that is a characteristic of Japanese food and drinks (think that tangy flavor in sake!)
What Ingredients are Needed for the Japanese Sidecar Cocktail?
- Brown Sugar
- iichiko Shochu
- Lemon Juice
- Triple Sec
- Orange Bitters
Iichiko Silhouette is a single distillation, which results in a relatively low alcohol content of only 25%. Unlike vodka which is relatively flavorless, iichiko Silhouette has a wonderful aroma and flavor of peach, citrus and toasted nutty barley which reminded us of an unaged rye whiskey, but with out the sharp burn as a result of the lower alcohol content.
Silhouette is wonderful when served neat, as its low proof level makes it an easy sipper, but is a real star when mixed in these Shochu cocktails!
What Other Flavors with Shochu
We liked the hint of citrus iichiko Silhouette shochu had, so we decided that we should make a variation of one of the classic citrus cocktails, the Sidecar. The sidecar is traditionally made with cognac, orange liqueur and fresh squeezed lemon juice, which results in a tart, refreshing citrus cocktail.
For our Japanese Sidecar, we used the iichiko Silhouette shochu in place of the cognac, which really allowed the flavors of the shochu to really shine! The sweetness of the orange liqueur worked really well with the nutty toasty flavors of the shochu which makes this a delightful sipping cocktail!
Cheers!
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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!
Other Shochu Cocktails
- Shochu and Tonic – Liquor Culture
- Yuzu Sour – Just One Cookbook
- The Yuzu Jasmine Sour – Honest Cooking
- Salted Plum Haamonii Schochu Cocktail – Food Woolf
The Japanese Sidecar - A Iichiko Silhouette Shochu Cocktail
A barley liquor based cocktail, this Japanese sidecar combines lemon and triple sec.
Ingredients
Japanese Sidecar Cocktail
- 1.75 ounces iichiko silhouette Shochu
- .75 ounce triple sec
- .50 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 dashes orange bitters
- brown sugar for rimming glass
Instructions
Wet the rim of a coupe glass with lemon juice.
Dip the rim of the glass into the brown sugar to rim the glass.
Add the iichiko shochu, triple sec, bitters and lemon juice to a shaker.
Add ice.
Shake and strain into your rimmed glass.
Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Cheers!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1600mgCarbohydrates: 0.4gFiber: 0.1gSugar: 17.4gProtein: 0.4g
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Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
Monday 25th of September 2017
I've never heard of shochu! Now I'm super curious- I'll look for it!!!
essmckn
Tuesday 19th of September 2017
This is perfect for upcoming entertaining and holiday parties, thanks for sharing!
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 20th of September 2017
Thank you! Hope you enjoy, cheers!
Cathy Mini
Tuesday 19th of September 2017
This Japanese cocktail has me drooling!! Definitely have to try some for happy hour!
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 20th of September 2017
Thanks, hope you try it out! Cheers!
joancajic
Tuesday 19th of September 2017
This looks really delicious, never heard of it but wouldn't mind having one.
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 20th of September 2017
Thank you, we had fun experimenting with this! Cheers!
confettiandbliss
Monday 18th of September 2017
What a delicious drink! I'd love to pick up all the ingredients at BevMo and enjoy this Japanese beverage this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing such fabulous drink inspiration.
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 20th of September 2017
Thanks, hope you can get them and try this out! Cheers to your weekend plans!