What is the most popular adult beverage consumed in Japan? I know you’re likely thinking it’s sake, but no, that’s #3. Like in America, Japan’s favorite libation is beer, but surprisingly (for me at least), the next favorite libation in Japan is shochu.

What is Shochu?
Shochu is like the beefier cousin of sake, with both starting life as steamed rice inoculated with koji or Aspergillus mold that starts converting the starches in rice to simple sugars that the added yeast can eventually convert to ethyl alcohol. With sake, more steamed rice and yeast are added, plus water and the brewed end product is also the final product, sake. In the case of shochu, the koji starter, which consists of koji, steamed rice and water, is then added to the main flavor base — the main types of shochu found in the 50th are rice, barley, sweet potato or a combination of all three, but shochu can also be made with chestnuts, buckwheat, brown sugar or even carrots.

This rudimentary “wine” consisting of spent koji starter, rice and sweet potatoes or barley or rice, is then added to a distilling container and heated so that the ethyl alcohol and other volatile compounds exit as steam then condense in a second container exactly the way whisky, vodka, rum or other hard liquor is produced.

The Hawaiian Shochu Company
Ken and Yumiko Hirata started Hawaiian Shochu Company in the laid-back, surf town of Hale‘iwa on the North Shore of O‘ahu in 2013. He initially received his apprenticeship at Manzen Shuzo from fourth-generation president, Toshihiro Manzen. Just to get his foot in the door required multiple requests to Manzen-san, who finally relented after Ken stated that his goal was to start producing shochu in the 50th state. Then, nine years after starting his apprenticeship, the Hawaiian Shochu Company became a reality.

Though shochu can be produced from a variety of grains and vegetables, Ken selected the locally grown sweet potato. Although about 20 varieties of sweet potato are grown in the 50th, Ken primarily uses the purple sweet potato. It is always sourced locally; sometimes from a farm just down the road, sometimes from Moloka‘i, sometimes from the Big Island, sometimes from Kaua‘i. He tries to source all of his ingredients locally, but because Hawai‘i doesn’t have a rice industry, he opts for Koda Farms’ Kokuho Rose heirloom rice — he admitted to uncertainty about obtaining the Kokuho Rose rice since the Koda family won’t be managing daily operations of Koda Farms.

Ken’s shochu production starts with steaming 200-pound batches of Koda Farms Kokuho Rose rice, then placing the steamed rice on large pallets. When the rice has cooled to a predetermined temperature, it is inoculated with koji mold — Ken only uses black koji (Aspergillus luchuensis) or white koji (Aspergillus kawachii) as the yellow koji used for sake production will sour the moromi or koji/rice/water mixture at hotter temperatures, like those found in Hawai‘i. Once the koji is mixed into the steamed rice, it is placed into smaller wooden frames and placed in the koji “room,” where the rice is mixed every three hours for the next 48 hours. I assume during this period, Ken sleeps in the production facility, as he’s the only full-time employee with Yumiko Hirata assisting him as needed. He joked that large shochu operations have everything mechanized — he said he’s also high tech. If the koji room is cool, he only slides the air vents one finger width. If it gets too hot, he slides it open four finger widths.

He currently has 12 ceramic vats sent to him by his mentor Manzen-san, which are primarily subterranean, with just 10 to 12 inches above ground level. He first fills one vat with the rice/koji mixture and adds water to create the moromi and adds yeast to start the fermentation process. Once the moromi creates a basic sake, he places steamed sweet potatoes in two adjacent vats and divides the “sake” among the two vats. This whole mixture is allowed to ferment for several days, then both vats are emptied into his hinoki distilling barrel. Once heat is introduced, the volatile alcohol and flavor components vaporize then condense back to liquid in an adjacent barrel then is lightly filtered and eventually transferred to his green barrel where it ages for four to six months before bottling.

Hirata started with about a 5,000 bottle production and currently is at about 7,000 bottles annually. Because Hawaiian Shochu Company is just a husband/wife operation, they only produce shochu twice a year, in spring and fall and for dedicated consumers, and can only be purchased directly from the Haleiwa location (approximately 80%) — some local restaurants (approximately 20%) stock their shochu.

Though the Nami Hana shochu is their primary product, Hirata received a copper still as a gift, and produces his Haleiwa Gin, which is infused with local ingredients like limu (seaweed), jabon (pomelo), calamansi and hibiscus — only the juniper berries are sourced from outside of the state.

Whereas most commercial gin is produced from a flavorless base spirit, Ken uses almost two bottles of his Nami Hana shochu for each bottle of Haleiwa Gin. He also produces limited production Banzai Strength shochu — the current release is Black and White, which is shochu produced individually from black koji and white koji, then blended before bottling.

The Hawaiian Citrus Sakura, which is infused with local citrus and vanilla beans, is aged in sakura wood casks.

Surf’s Up
1 ounce Nolet gin
1 ounce Namihana Shochu
1/2 ounce litchi liqueur
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
2 ounces elderflower tonic water
Mix all five ingredients with ice for about 15 seconds then strain into an Old-Fashioned glass with a single large cube of ice. Garnish with a slice of lime.

But why am I writing about a product that you first have to fly 2,500 miles to the middle of the Pacific Ocean then rent a car and drive another 27 miles to procure provided that you already made a reservation for one of the two-hour time slots that’s only available 13 to 15 times per month? Because for those of you who reside in the Bay Area, some of the Hawaiian Shochu Company’s products are available at Umami Mart in Oakland. Mind you, none of the Hawaiian Shochu Company’s products are available for retail purchase anywhere in Hawai‘i. You either have to purchase directly from the brewery/distillery in Haleiwa or sample them at one of the few hotels or restaurants that has a supply. But back in 2018, Kayoko Akabori of Umami Mart visited the Hawaiian Shochu Company then inquired about purchasing a supply in 2021. Because restaurants were still struggling post-pandemic and weren’t placing their usual Namihana orders, Hirata-san did have extra bottles that Akabori-san purchased for Umami Mart’s Shochu Gumi or membership club. Since then, Hirata-san has set aside an allocation that goes to Umami Mart.

Umami Mart
4027 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 250-9559

Shop and bar hours: Tuesdays through Sundays: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Ryan Tatsumoto is a graduate of both the University of Hawai‘i and UC San Francisco. He is a retired clinical pharmacist and a budding chef/recipe developer/wine taster. He writes from Kane’ohe, HI and can be reached at gochisogourmet@gmail.com. The views expressed in the preceding column are not necessarily those of the Nichi Bei News.

Ryan Tatsumoto, Nichi Bei News

The Gochiso Gourmet is a column on food, wine and healthy eating. Ryan Tatsumoto is a graduate of both the University of Hawai‘i and UC San Francisco. He is a recently retired clinical pharmacist and a budding chef/recipe developer/wine taster. He writes from Kane’ohe, HI and can be reached at gochisogourmet@gmail.com. The views expressed in the preceding column are not necessarily those of the Nichi Bei News.