The Shochu

Iki no Hana Co.	Iki Island, Nagasaki
	Iki no Hana has been making shochu since 1900, the 33rd year of the Meiji Period. Iki no Hana's policy is to make 'real' shochu in the old-fashioned way: that is, normal pressure distillation which leaves very distinct characteristics of the ingredients such as rice malt and barley. While most other distilleries age shochu at the pot strength of alcohol, a unique practice at Iki no Hana is to dilute the pot-strength shochu immediately after the distillation and prior to aging. This results in shochus that are much milder and 'together' by the time of bottling. Iki shochu's quality as well as its historical and cultural importance has resulted in the WTO's TRIPS Council formally establishing 'Iki' as an official geographic indication (GI), which now lists Iki Shochu among the world's most recognized names for specialty quality food, wines and spirits in the likes of Scotch, Champagne, Cognac and Bordeaux. Mr. Nagata hopes that this prompts people around the world to enjoy different styles and characteristics of Iki Shochu.
Iki Shochu Producers Co-operative	Iki Island, Nagasaki
	Iki is the island on which barley shochu is thought to have been first produced. It is said that the technique of distillation was introduced to Iki Island in the Sea of Genkai, between Kyushu and Korea, about 400 years ago. Iki, which had been developed as a granary and blessed also with limpid natural water, was an ideal place where barley shochu making techniques could be perfected. Iki Shochu Producers Co-operative was founded in 1984 by 6 of the twelve distilleries that existed on Iki Island, to take Iki Shochu outside the local market. The Co-operative was the first producer to adopt the reduced pressure distillation method on the island, while being true to the time-old techniques inherited in Iki since the Edo Period (1603 to 1867).
Inoue Distillery and Sakura no Sato Brewery	Miyazaki
	Tokuo Terada, President and Representative Employee Inoue Distiller and Brewer Co., Ltd., founded in 1894, represents both time-old traditions together with fresh innovations . In 1983, the Company developed proprietary techniques for reduced-pressure distillation, which enabled the production of the world's first low- temperature distilled sweet potato shochu. This milestone in a time when normal-pressure distilled shochus were still mainstream set the Company apart from its competitors. Later, Japan's boom for authentic shochus would be driven by reduced-pressure distilled shochus which were milder and smoother in their characteristics, hence more widely accepted by (especially female) consumers. Sakura no Sato Distiller and Brewer Co., Ltd. was founded in 1994 as a group company of Inoue Distiller and Brewer Co., Ltd. It enhanced Inoue Distillery's time-old traditions in shochu making, with computer-controlled, state-of-the-art equipments and with a focus on producing of mainly barley shochus initially. Its history may be short, however the very first product by this newer distillery won an award of excellence at a shochu competition.
Kyoya Distillery	Miyazaki
	Shinichiro Watanabe, President The Kyoya Distillery has been using unglazed large pots in shochu production since its foundation in 1834 (the fifth year of the Tenpo era). The use of unglazed pots and small batches (800 liters per pot) induces natural fermentation that requires neither artificial heating nor cooling. Kyoya's company policy is to make shochu that is friendly to nature and the environment. Kyoya's subsidiary, the Agri Company, grows organic sweet potatoes used as a key ingredient of shochu. Additionally, the company grows rice by taking advantage of the behavior of aigamo (mixed-breed) ducks. These ducks eat weeds, plow the field with their movements and leave droppings, making the rice fields fertile and healthy without using any agricultural chemicals. In spite of Kyoya's glorious heritage as one of the oldest distilleries in Miyazaki, Mr. Watanabe insists, "we will always pursue new dimensions of shochu without being contented".
Matsu no Tsuyu Distillery	Miyazaki
	Founded in the mid 1800's at the end of the Edo Period, Matsu no Tsuyu Distillery is located in the small castle town of Obi (in the City of Nichinan in Miyazaki), also known as 'Little Kyoto' of Kyushu. The company name is taken from an image of the beautiful morning dew on pine leaves. Matsu no Tsuyu uses fresh white sweet potato called Kogane Sengan, which is selected by hand to ensure highest quality standards.
Yatsushika Brewery	Oita
	Founded in the mid 1800's at the end of the Edo Period, Matsu no Tsuyu Distillery is located in the small castle town of Obi (in the City of Nichinan in Miyazaki), also known as 'Little Kyoto' of Kyushu. The company name is taken from an image of the beautiful morning dew on pine leaves. Matsu no Tsuyu uses fresh white sweet potato called Kogane Sengan, which is selected by hand to ensure highest quality standards. Yatsushika Distiller & Brewer Co., Ltd. was founded in 1864 as a small sake brewery called Funakoya. In 1885, Kanpachi Aso, the third generation successor of the Aso clan, at just twenty years of age, set out to revive the fading business together with the master sake brewer, Shikataro Nakama. They introduced a great sake called Ryumon, which later became so successful that the same was renamed Yatsushika, after each character from their own names. The Yatsushika Brewery is located in the Kusu Basin in Oita Prefecture. Deeply beneath the basin flows the natural spring water, which is drawn from a well on the company property to be used to make the shochus. This well connects to a water source 250 meters underneath the Kokonoe Mountain Range, the highest points in the Island of Kyushu, hence known as the 'Ridge of Kyushu'. In winter, the temperature drops to 8-10 degrees C below zero, making Oita an unusually suitable place in Kyushu for sake making.
Kubota Brewery	Hiroshima
	Located in Kabe, Hiroshima, where the rivers Ota and Nenotani cross with the Chugoku Mountains in the background, Kubota Brewery has been making quality sake with excellent rice fragrances and smooth and crisp tastes since its foundation in 1868. The Brewery uses the traditional diamond shaped well of subsoil water from the Ota River. The brewing-quality Hattannishiki variety rice is grown locally, and the low temperature fermentation method is employed. Its rice shochus are also unique as they are made from the lees of soft pressed ginjo sake, bringing aromas that are full of grace.
Fukano Distillery	Kumamoto
	Fukano Brewery was founded in 1823 (the 6th year of the Bunsei Period). Founder Tokiji Fukano was originally an imperial merchant based in Kurume, Fukuoka, serving Lord Kuroda of Chizen. He often came to the Sagara Domain (now Hitoyoshi/Kuma region) to buy rice and soon took note of Sagara's cool climate, abundance of high quality rice and pure water. He later moved his family to Sagara to start production of shochu and sake, which the local government was encouraging at that time. Since then, it has been producing fine WTO-recognized Kuma shochus using handmade pots from the Edo Period. Enclosed in these pots that contain iron and inorganic materials, Fukano's all-rice shochus age with increasing mellowness while keeping pure rice aromas and depth of flavors.
Okubo Distillery	Kagoshima
	Okubo Distillery has its origin in the Kubo Brewery established in 1910. In June 1990, Kagoshima's leading supplier of sweet potatoes, Shin Nakayama & Co., stepped in to salvage the fading business and installed new equipment to start the new Okubo Distillery. To this day, it remains a boutique producer with an annual total production of just 500 kokus (which equate to 90 kiloliters). Yet Okubo is blessed with the chief shochu maker from the renowned Kurose Toji family of master brewers and his 'up and rising' assistants, dedicated to making authentic shochu the old fashioned way, using normal pressure distillation. As for the primary raw materials, Shin Nakayama & Co., ensures provision of the best quality organically grown sweet potatoes available. The water is taken locally in Shibushi Village from an old well, which is said to have never run dry even during severe droughts in the past, and it is high in nutritious content - such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Meno Brewery	Fukuoka
	Meno Brewery was founded in 1890 in lush Yanagawa and known as a maker of a flagship sake, Kuni no Kotobuki (Peace and Glory of Our Land). Meno Brewery was the last brewery in Fukuoka Prefecture to start making shochu. Its company policy is 'Quality is Number One'; to carefully brew fine regional sake and shochu in small quantities; and to give consumers true satisfaction.