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All shouchus are alcoholic beverages obtained by the distillation of alcohol containing liquids. Within the realm of alcohol taxation laws, however, shouchu is classified as either Grade B or Grade A.
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Grade B Shouchu is obtained using standard distillation apparatus (such as a pot still, or the more traditional Japanese “ranbiki” and “kabuto-kama”). The alcohol content of the distillate is typically less that 45%.
* The photo on the right shows the boiler we use. This apparatus is in fact very old, and there are very few shouchu breweries remaining that use this type of boiler. This is, however, the most appropriate type for distillation.
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Grade A shouchu is obtained by continuous distillation. A distillate with a very high concentration of alcohol is acquired; this is then diluted using water to reduce the alcohol content to less than 36%.
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Within alcohol taxation laws, the two types of shouchu were initially differentiated by referring to them as Grade A and Grade B. However, within normal taxation laws there was no such differentiation, and various restrictions connected with Grade A shouchu were also applied to the Grade B makers; this quite naturally led to an air of dissatisfaction. They therefore took action to have their shouchu referred to as "Original Shouchu"; Grade A shouchu became known as “White Liquor”.
Nowadays, the laws related to the maintenance of alcohol tax, and the alcohol industry union, should strictly refer to Grade B shouchu as “original shouchu”. One might assume that this has had an adverse impact on the Grade A makers, however, they were in fact able to benefit from the booming western liquor sales when they began to refer to their product as “White Liquor”. The new names, however, are merely idioms, and within the realms of alcohol tax laws they are still largely known as Grade A and Grade B shouchu.
Quoted from “The Original Shouchu of Miyazaki” written by Kihachirou Kogawa and Hisaharu Nagayama
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1. Malt making
The first stage in shouchu making is to prepare the malt.
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2. Primary brewing
The malt, yeast, and brewing water are then placed in the traditional Kyoya casks, which are then maintained at 30°C.
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3. Steaming the ingredients: Potatoes and Buckwheat
The ingredients are carefully selected and then steamed
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4. Secondary Brewing
The primary unrefined alcohol and the steamed ingredients are placed in a cask for secondary brewing. They are mixed using wooden stirrers made from the fragrant Japanese cedar tree.
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5. Distillation
The secondary brewed mixture is then placed in the distillation vessel and distilled at a fixed low pressure to yield a large volume of steam.
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6. Ageing
The shouchu is allowed to rest in the barrel for a long time.
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