Event

Shochu: A Tasting Seminar with Japan's Distilled Beverage

Tuesday, July 16, 7:00-9:00PM
$45 for 18 Reasons Members, $55 for general public; Ticketed

Join Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano for a truly compelling tasting event featuring Japan's distilled beverage: shochu. Nearly 10 years after the shochu boom in Japan, shochu is hardly known in the U.S. and is still most often mistaken for Korea's distilled beverage, soju. So what is shochu? Simply put, shochu is a distilled beverage native to Japan. Scotland has its Scotch, Russia has its vodka, Mexico has its tequila, and Japan has shochu.

In this tasting seminar, we will explore the history, tradition, and production of shochu. We will taste varieties distilled from barley (mugi), sweet potato (imo), short grain rice (kome) and buckwheat (soba), and explore food pairings with each type. We will leave confident and curious, ready to order our new favorite beverage in restaurants and to purchase it for our homes, excited to sip it alongside summer food favorites: barbecue, pickles, and local, wild king salmon (just in!).

You can also visit Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori at their impeccably curated store Umami Mart. Based in Oakland, CA, this unique store stocks high-quality kitchen and barware from Japan, all hand-pickd by Yoko and Kayoko. Be sure to check out their inspiring, informative, and often hilarious blog at www.umamimart.com.
"Selected shochus generously provided by Takara Sake USA Inc."