How to drink awamori

In Okinawa awamori is drunk above all with water. As a rule, regular awamori (under three years) goes with water or on the rocks, and kusu (three years and older) neat or on the rocks, a little at a time. Most awamori is around 30 %; mixed with water it comes down to 15 % or less and is easy to drink with food.

With water (mizuwari)

The Okinawa distillers' association calls awamori with water the ideal way to drink it with a meal. Fill the glass 30–50 % with awamori, depending on its strength and your taste. To taste it fully, skip the ice and mix it 1 : 1 with room-temperature water. A 30 % awamori mixed 5 : 5 comes to about 15 %, 4 : 6 to about 12 %.

On the rocks

Fill a glass with ice and pour the awamori slowly over it. This shows awamori's aroma and the sweetness of the rice best, and it softens as the ice melts.

With hot water (oyuwari)

On cold days, try it with hot water. Made from rice alone, awamori keeps its flavour to the last sip instead of turning watery. With strong awamori, aim for a lukewarm glass. The order and ratios are the same as in How to mix shochu.

Neat (kusu)

Sip kusu neat from a small cup to enjoy the sweet aroma and the long finish it built up while ageing. Keep a glass of water on the side and take your time.

With soda, citrus and in cocktails

Soda, a squeeze of shīkwāsā or other citrus, and cocktails with coffee or juice are all casual ways to enjoy awamori in Okinawa today.

Awamori vessels

• Karakara: Okinawa's ceramic pouring flask for awamori, wide and round at the bottom so it doesn't tip over. There are several stories behind the name: one is that some of them rattle ("kara-kara") when shaken.
• Chibugwā: a small cup for sipping kusu.

What food goes with it?

Awamori is easy to pair not only with Okinawan dishes but with Japanese, Western and Chinese food alike. KIKI shows the foods each bottle goes with.

Awamori (a single-distilled shochu) is 45 % or less; above 45 % it is classed as raw-material alcohol. 30 % is the most common strength, followed by 43, 25 and 40 % (KIKI's catalogue). It is a strong drink: have water alongside and drink in moderation.