“Ginteki” Sweet Potato Shochu

Description

Exclusive to Umai grocery store! The ideal vintage from the Ohtemon distillery to discover shochu: sweet yet complex, orthodox yet beginner-friendly, rare yet among the most accessible on the French market. It’s easy to see why shochu is by far the most popular alcoholic beverage in Japan.

Ginteki is a sweet potato shochu from Kyushu, the prefecture that specializes in shochu, and more specifically from Kagoshima, the city that specializes in sweet potato shochu. This five hundred year old appellation implies a smooth yet light texture and a delicately toasted aroma. And that’s exactly what Ginteki offers: toasted, peppery notes and a smoothness that allows it to be enjoyed at room temperature.

Like all shochu, Ginteki can be diluted with sparkling water to make a refreshing cocktail called a “highball,” which is very popular in Japan. It can also be enjoyed on the rocks, or diluted with hot water (about 60°C) in cold weather. Purists also recommend enhancing Ginteki with green or red tea, hot or cold, to accentuate its sweetness.