How awamori is made
Awamori is Okinawa's spirit: all the Thai rice becomes black koji and goes into one mash (zen-kōji), which is distilled once; aged three years or more, it is kusu.
Awamori is Okinawa's own spirit. It looks like shochu, but it is made in a distinctive way.
- Thai ricehard and dry, easy for koji
- Black koji onlycitric acid beats the heat
- All-koji mashall the rice becomes koji, one mash
Steps
- Wash, steam
- Black koji ~2 days
- Mash ~2 weeks
- Distil once
- Age, bottle
Kusu (aged awamori)
Awamori of which all has aged three years or more is kusu (古酒). More on labelling rules and shitsugi in Kusu (aged awamori) and shitsugi.
Terms in this article
Also read
- How sake is madeRice, water, koji and yeast, in ten steps from polishing to bottling.
- How honkaku shochu is madeKoji first, then sweet potato or barley, and a single distillation.
- Types of shochu and awamoriSweet potato, barley, rice, brown sugar and buckwheat, plus koji and still.
- How does awamori differ from shochu?Thai rice, black koji only, one single mash, plus where awamori sits in the law and its story.