Experience New Tastes with Asian-Inspired Cocktails: From Japanese Shochu to Chinese Baijiu

As bartenders look to offer guests new tastes, spirits that may be unfamiliar to some are making their way into glasses. Common liquors such as rum and gin are being developed in places like Thailand and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Korean soju, Japanese shochu, and Chinese baijiu (a colorless, high-octane grain spirit with a complex flavor profile—fruity, earthy, peppery) are becoming more mainstream. Honda-Ya —a Japanese Izakaya with locations in Tustin and Fountain Valley—offers a menu of shochu cocktails to complement the culinary creations. Vaca in Costa Mesa utilizes baijius such as Ming River in a number of cocktails, including the Mushu, which is served in a fun dragon mug. Webb’s Grainworks in Aliso Viejo has a delicious awamori that’s available for retail and offered in the bar. “Awamori is a 600-year-old spirit from the island of Okinawa,” says Jeremy Webb, proprietor and head distiller. “It dates back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, the indigenous culture of the island, predating Japan. It’s made using 100 percent Thai long grain indica rice, as opposed to sake and shochu, which are made using short grain Japonica rice. Awamori is fermented using black koji, whereas sake and shochu traditionally use yellow or white koji.” Tip: Try the Taniguchi. “It’s a kusu awamori imported from our sister distillery in Okinawa, Mizuho Shuzo,” notes Webb. “My father worked for Toyota my entire life and because of this, I developed a love for all things Japanese at a very young age.” izakayahondaya.com , vacarestaurant.com , webbsgrainworks.com