What Is Awamori and How Does It Differ From Other Shochu?

Awamori, a distilled spirit from Okinawa, Japan, is experiencing a rebound across Japan and making its reach globally. But, for those who have already begun their shochu journey, you discover a whole other thing called Awamori?! Well, if you're like myself, who is new on this journey too, unraveling this 'cousin' to shochu is a fun-spirited education to take.

Location, Location, Location

As in real estate, it also rings true for beverages worldwide; location is everything. For example, awamori is a traditional Okinawan shochu made only on the island with rice. With its warm climate, the use of black koji is essential as it produces citric acid and is essential to help contain bacteria. 

Awamori's History and Production Method

Awamori is unique as it uses an entirely all-koji preparation. The rice koji (made with the same rice varietal since the early 20th century) is made with black koji mold and water only.

The drink's history stretches back hundreds of years, and its production method has remained essentially unchanged. The word awamori can be translated as "moon" or "round," referring to the shape of the still used in its production. Often distilled in horizontal stills (mash circular stills) in forms similar to that of a horse. The awamori mash reaches a maximum temperature of 27°‒31°C; after fermentation of 14‒18 days, the alcohol content reaches 17%‒18%.

This alcohol content was beneficial for awamori's early beginnings as not only the hottest luxury item in town but also as indispensable medicine for disinfecting sword wounds. This spirits creation led to many happy recipients in China and Southeast Asia, as the Okinawans traded their unique awamori. 

The popularity of awamori declined after World War II due to competition from other liquors, such as sake, and Western liquors, such as whisky and vodka. In addition, brewing regulations stipulated that restaurants could sell only sake, so awamori brewers had no choice but to sell their products directly from their factory gates or shops until 1972, when Okinawa reverted to Japanese rule following the U.S. occupation.

Production

Compared to vodka, awamori has more in common with whiskey because it is distilled from grains rather than fruits or vegetables. However, it also seems to follow the whiskey model of aging and maturing its spirits for specific periods to develop. This is why it's reasonable to see that distilled awamori that has not been aged for more than two years is called "white awamori."

The awamori that has aged longer since production is called kusu, a literal and accurate name meaning long-aged spirit. Adding awamori distillates to kame, traditional Okinawan earthenware, for a minimum age of two years, produces full-bodied liquor with a prominent rice fragrance and vanilla-like sweet flavor. Even if aged kusu has an alcohol content of 40% or more, storage and maturation give it a smooth taste with a minimal alcoholic sting.

Long-Aged Spirit Kusu (Kusuhochu)

In Japan, awamori is not just a drink but also a part of the culture and history of Okinawa. The shochu has been passed down through the ages and stored in unglazed earthenware vessels. A unique process called shitsugi (which directly translates to "liquor replenishment") is used to maintain quality while drinking awamori. Hearing about this process for the first time made me think of the recent phenomenon of Inifinity bottles (again, another nod to the whiskey world). For the shitsugi process, earthenware vessels stocked with awamori are prepared in five positions at fixed intervals over the years. When some of the oldest awamori (the "parent liquor") is removed from its vessel, it is restocked with some from the second earthenware vessel. Then, the second vessel is supplied from the third vessel, and so on, with each vessel replenishing. Maybe we should all try a version of the Infinity bottle with awamori?

Awamori Today

Okinawa's Awamori has completely evolved from the days of instant yamifu (drunk after work), when the spirit was synonymous with an "around the house" drink for fishermen, to becoming a cultivated product with its own unique characteristics. Awamori distilled spirits have become a signature specialty of Okinawa Prefecture thanks to local producers' hard work to improve the liquor's manufacturing method and taste.