The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO) announces the “Spark Your Sense” pop-up event in Los Angeles, a collaboration with 10 notable bars.
Through Feb. 19, you can enjoy a signature shochu highball and craft cocktails at the following iconic establishments: Bar Bohémien, Big Bar, Death & Co, Jonah’s Kitchen+Bar, kodō, Redbird, The Normandie Club, Thunderbolt, Wolf & Crane, and 1212 Santa Monica.
During this event, each bar will serve at least two kinds of cocktails. Our signature is the Shochu Highball, with a refreshing taste perfect for bringing out the spirit’s rich aroma and flavor.
In addition, each bar will offer their own original craft cocktail made using shochu.
JFOODO will also host a pop-up event partway through the celebration called “Shochu Night” at Death & Co, where you can enjoy three shochu drinks for $20: A Shochu Highball, a craft shochu cocktail, and a cocktail a la minute. To buy tickets, visit here: https://www.exploretock.com/deathcola
Free special shochu stickers are available throughout the month of the event for anyone who tags @shochu_japan when they post the cocktails to their Instagram story. And anyone who posts directly to their feed gets a chance to win a shochu T-shirt. Check @shochu_japan for more information.
About Shochu
Shochu is a pure, clean, and expressive spirit that makes use of a variety of traditional ingredients from Japan’s long history to create an appealing range of aromas and tastes. Shochu is typically made from sweet potatoes, barley, rice, or brown sugar, and though each type of shochu has a distinct flavor depending on its base ingredient, the general taste is often described as nutty or earthy, with an ABV of around 25%.
Shochu can be difficult to categorize compared to other spirits due to the wide range between all the different varieties, but the more you understand about the properties of each base ingredient, the greater the potential for your enjoyment.
The Shochu Highball is one of the best ways to savor the rich aroma and flavor of shochu. It can be made with very simple ingredients: Sparkling water, ice, and fresh fruits, such as citrus. The many varieties of shochu itself, each with a different flavor, make it so that a simple cocktail is ideal for fully appreciating the variations between them. The Shochu Highball is refreshing, with a clear aftertaste that retains the full flavor of the base spirit, and goes well with many different fruit juices and other ingredients.
Shochu Highballs are perfect for shochu beginners, and since they are made with sparkling water, they can be enjoyed casually, for instance on weeknights when you may want to enjoy a lighter drink.
For more information, visit https://shochu-jfoodo.jetro.go.jp/index.html
Participating Bars, bartenders/mixologists, and the special Japanese shochu cocktails:
Bar Bohémien (Fabio Casalenuovo):
Shochu Highball: Green Tea Shochu Highball, made with Kagura Kurouma Shochu Gold/Barley Shochu
With scents of lemon and mint followed by green tea, rosewater, and ginger, this perfectly sweet highball complements the delicious flavor of shochu.
Shochu Cocktail: Island Spud, made with Aka Kirishima/Sweet Potato Shochu
Notes of pineapple and melon hit you immediately on the nose, ends with a tart and puckery finish. This is a winter island cocktail.
Big Bar (Abigail Smith):
Shochu Highball: Apple Sherbet Shochu Highball, made with Kagura Kurouma Shochu Gold/Barley Shochu
Start with the tart crispness of Granny Smith apples, softened by vermouth & enhanced with shochu, inspired by Asia’s culture of after-work drinks.
Shochu Cocktail: Ai Shiter-Root 愛してる, made with Kuro Kirishima/Sweet Potato Shochu
Take in the aroma of the cocktail, appreciate how the aromatics of shochu and components of the cocktail interplay, take a sip, have a bite of your lotus chip and/or enjoy with spicy food. Bonus: If you happen to have mustard-stuffed lotus root on hand.
Death & Co (Kevin Nguyen):
Shochu Highball: Wolf Song Shochu Highball, made with Kuro-Koji Asahi Mannen/Sweet Potato Shochu
The juiciness of fresh cantaloupe and smoky spice of curry leaf accent the savory, floral qualities of Kuro-Koji Asahi Mannen Imo Shochu.
Shochu Cocktail: Double Vision, made with Iichiko Saiten/Barley Shochu
The tropical flavor of lychee and crisp bittersweet grapefruit form the backbone of this refreshing shochu-based daiquiri, reinforcing the fruitiness and florality of Iichiko Saiten.
Jonah’s Kitchen + Bar (Shun Sakaguchi)
Shochu Highball: Tajin Shochu Highball, made with Kinjo Shiro/Rice Shochu
Enjoy the ease and the lightness of a Japanese style highball drink with a staple Japanese rice shochu, with a Mexican tajin on the rim.
Shochu Cocktail: Cross-Cultured, made with Kagura Kurouma Shochu Gold/Barley Shochu
Distinct flavor of barley with a hint of Mezcal, this is a hybrid of popular shochu drinks “chawari” and “sour” with a staple Mexican cocktail, Paloma.
kodō (Sam Walton):
Shochu Highball: Green Leaf Shochu Highball, made with Ikkomon/Sweet Potato Shochu
Enjoy slowly and savor the grassy pandan flavors paired with the funk of the sweet potato shochu. Pairs well with lightly fried dishes.
Shochu Cocktail: Thoroughbred Tea, made with Aokage Forty-One/Barley Shochu
Enjoy over ice on a hot or cold day, paired with grilled/fresh whitefish, shellfish.
Redbird (Tobin Shea):
Shochu Highball: Skyscraper Shochu Highball, made with Nankai/Kokuto Shochu.
The highball is refreshing and a great way to start the evening. It allows the shochu to be the star. The carbonation helps it become an aroma angel.
Shochu Cocktail: Beach Cruiser, made with Ikkomon/Sweet Potato Shochu
The shochu is to be part of a synergy of ingredients all highlighting each other. Its rich umami flavors stand out amongst other tropical ingredients.
The Normandie Club (Jeremy Hicks):
Shochu Highball: Ume Shochu Highball, made with Kinjo Shiro/Rice Shochu
A highball with familiar Japanese flavors that allow the rice to shine through.
Shochu Cocktail: Our Manhattan, made with Aokage Forty-One/Barley Shochu
A Manhattan riff allows the complexity and natural umami of the shochu to create a well-balanced and delicate cocktail.
Thunderbolt (Tom G. Liu):
Shochu Highball: Soba Shochu Highball, made with Iichiko Saiten/Barley Shochu
Pour over ice in a tall glass and enjoy a bubbly complex highball featuring the complex nutty flavors of a barley distilled Shochu and buckwheat tea.
Shochu Cocktail: South by South Sea, made with Nankai/Kokuto Shochu
A light drinking Sazerac-style cocktail that highlights the cherry and chocolate notes found in this black sugar distilled shochu.
Wolf & Crane (Jason Valdez):
Shochu Highball: Changing Tides Shochu Highball, made with Aokage Forty-One/Barley Shochu
A tropical escape with passionfruit aromatics and rice notes rounding out the finish of this cocktail. A lingering nuttiness leaves you wanting more.
Shochu Cocktail: Inazuma, made with Kuro-Koji Asahi Mannen/Sweet Potato Shochu
A complex sipping cocktail that starts off sweet and ends with a chocolate bitterness to accent the sweet aromatics of shochu and orange fragrance.
1212 Santa Monica (Julian Martinez):
Shochu Highball: Prickly Pear Shochu Highball, made with Aka Kirishima/Sweet Potato Shochu
Enjoy the aroma of sweet potato and rice as the main ingredient. Sweet potato shochu with added tropical fruits and Japanese essence.
Shochu Cocktail: La Perilla, made with Kinjo Shiro/Rice Shochu
Enjoy this cocktail chill straight up in a coupe glass.
Shochu Night
Date: Thursday, Jan. 26
Time: 6 p.m.-12 a.m.
Venue: Death & Co., 818 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles 90013
Ticket: $20 (three drinks)
To make a reservation, visit: https://www.exploretock.com/deathcola
Instagram: @deathandcompany