Learn the Craft
By Sharon Yeung
What an honor and privilege it was to visit Japan and learn its history and hear the countless stories from the people of Japan first hand. Shochu has always been a category I’ve been curious about. I’ve yearned to learn about its practices and history for many years now. As an Asian-American bartender, a goal of mine was to always introduce guests to asian spirits and to educate them for a better understanding. Asian spirits, I’ve always believed, should be showcased in every single bar. They are just as important, if not more relevant, due to its rich history. Even as a seasoned bartender, the lack of education of Shochu was missing within our industry. Although I was excited to embark on this journey to completely immerse myself into touring Shochu distilleries, I’ve gotten so much more than I’ve ever dreamt.
A constant theme during the trip was every destination we’ve visited was very thoughtful of preservation of history, the land, community, and its resources. A few of these distilleries and farms had the most impact on me, definitely a lasting memory that I will forever hold close.
Maskaso Furusawa of the Furusawa distillery was the only female master brewer we encountered on this trip. I admired her for her strength and perseverance to carry on her fathers legacy to continue making shochu in a male dominated industry. The sweet potatoes and water for distillation used were practically right outside her back yard. Here was the first place I understood how different and special each shochu can be. It has awakened many new senses for me. It’s unheard of that a spirit can be 4000 different ways, the possibilities are endless.
Kirishima was the largest full scale production of shochu on this trip. The most memorable shochu I had on this trip was their “Melt”. Notes of caramel, chestnuts, chamomile tea, with the most luxurious silky texture with a long finish. I can drink this stuff forever I thought. Their ethos and respect for the land was unparalleled. Plus three master brewers within their distillery. They’re able to achieve an incredible range of flavors this way. Not only were their products the best I’ve experienced during this trip but the mission to be 100% sustainable on their resources. Their sweet potatoes were turned into shochu and the scrapes were then turned into renewable energy. I hope one day we will learn from them, they are so ahead of the times.
Within all the distillery tours there were a few farm visits sprinkled in between. I’ve grown such a new appreciation on where food comes from and a newfound respect for those that put love and care into producing their products. At Tadaringo Orchards, this gentleman has been farming for 60 years and is now in his late 80s. It’s no surprise that these grapes, apples, and pears were the best I’ve ever tasted. His special blend of soil and intense care he’s put into this work shows from the quality of his produce. Putting your heart and soul into doing what you love keeps you young, it seems.
Yanagita distillery was run by a gentleman named Tadashi Yanagita who’s the 5th generation master brewer. He spoke with the most passion for the craft of his shochu and every word was electric and captivating. His young daughter will eventually take over the distillery when she's grown, until then he’s been modifying bits and pieces of the space to set her up for success. He mentioned she likes “sweeter” flavors and in turn designed the still where she can achieve this when that time comes. The beauty of preservation of the family legacy rings true within these walls, but a fathers love is stronger. He’s eager and excited for his daughter to carry on the legacy and make it her own. It was the most beautiful thing.
Yamatoichi Shuzomoto has overcome a devastating loss of the entire distillery being wiped out from a massive rain disaster in 2020. Fumihito Shimoda and the community of Hitoyoshi came together to rebuild the distillery from the ground up. The story of loss was heart wrenching, and the strength to move forward was awe and inspiring. The perseverance of the community coming together gives me hope. Beauty can come after
Leaving Japan, I’ve been more inspired than I have ever been in a long while. I feel incredibly honored and blessed to cross paths with so many people within the shochu community to learn their craft, and hear their stories. I’ll miss the views of the gorgeous countryside and its people. I now understand the beauty that is shochu and I can’t wait to share this knowledge and my very own creations with others. Thank you JSS for sharing this gift with me. I can’t wait to see what the future of shochu will be, it will be big and bright.