In TOKYO

There are many great and fun places to drink shochu. Some very casual standing bars, some elegant dinner places, some nice Izakaya. And in fact, all kinds of people are shochu drinkers, among them many women.

Kaori, very charming shochu advisor, explained to me the basics of shochu. Merci!

I used to drink it on the rocks and I did not know at all about the different kinds of ingredients that can be used to make shochu (not only Imo, sweet potato, as you will discover in the programme.)But the best way to know about the shochu world is to go to the real shochu’s birth place, in the island of Kyushu, and to see how it is made. Bon Voyage!

In Kagoshima

A few surprises during the filming:

First, there was a very strong typhoon coming right on Kagoshima in Kyushu exactly at the same time as us. Very impressive! Very frightening, but also the most beautiful clouds I have ever seen from an airplane. I really felt the strength and power of nature, which can give the best and the worst.

The making of shochu

Then, going to a brewery, I could see how, apart from the distillation process, the making of shochu is similar to wine. What I always love when visiting a winery is the nice smell of the grapes fermenting. A very special, very deep fragrance. This time, it was the sweet potatoes, Imo, fermenting smell that was enchanting.

And there was a big discovery for me during my visit at this brewery. I was able to see and touch the key material of making Shochu.
I even had a chance to enter to a special room… Check out the programme to find out my discovery!

IN GOOD SPIRITS SHOCHU & AWAMORI
Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB) Oct. 19, 2012