Yuzu chuuhai is the official drink I have on my ‘alcohol free’ days in Japan. It is generally made with a single shot of shochu so it is only about half as strong as a gin and tonic.
What is shochu I hear you ask. Shochu is Japan’s national spirit based drink and is made in all parts of Japan from a variety of ingredients. It is generally lower in alcohol than whisky but can vary anywhere from 24% to 38%.
The main styles of shochu are Imo (sweet potato), Mugi (barley), Shiso (perilla), Soba (buckwheat) and of course rice – Kome. It is common for shochu to be enjoyed on its own or over rocks.
The flavour of shochu varies from quite neutral to full bodied styles that display all the complexities of the finest malt whisky. Shochu is quite a savoury drink but there is a growing trend to make it into a sweet style of beverage by infusing it with fruits.
Being a purest my favourite way to drink good shochu is over a large single ice cube, unless of course it is one of my alcohol free days.
Look out for our future articles on shochu.
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Yuzu Chuuhai Recipe
Serves: 1 very happy person
Preparation time: 1 minute
Equipment: 1 sharp Japanese knife to prepare your garnish
Ingredients
- Some large ice cubes
- 30ml shochu – avoid the cheap and nasty variety
- 30ml yuzu juice
- 15ml sugar syrup
- 100ml soda water
- Slice of citrus to garnish
Method
1. Fill a highball or large spirit glass with icecubes. Add shochu, yuzu juice and sugar syrup and top with soda water and garnish.
2. Drink and repeat step 1
Barmans tips
- Use a fairly neutral flavoured shochu and choose one that is lower in alcohol so you can drink twice as many
- Large ice cubes are better because they dissolve more slowly and “feel” nice in the glass
- To make sugar syrup weigh equal amounts of white sugar and water, bring to the boil until sugar dissolves and let cool
