🥃 Mugi shōchū
Mugi shōchū is a Japanese shochu made from barley and koji, distilled once and up to 45% ABV; best known are the protected Iki name and the light styles of Oita Prefecture.
Mugi shōchū is a Japanese shochu whose main raw material is barley. It is made throughout Japan, but the best-known areas are Iki Island in Nagasaki Prefecture and Oita Prefecture on Kyushu. As a single-distilled shochu it can reach 45% ABV; the name 'Iki' has been a protected Japanese name since 1995.
How it is made. First, koji (rice or barley on which koji mould has grown) is fermented with water. Steamed grain and water are added to this first mash, and fermentation continues. The mash is then distilled once. So the shochu keeps the taste of the raw material, unlike vodka, which is distilled to neutrality.
Two styles. Japan's tax authority writes that light barley shochu, distilled under reduced pressure or purified with ion-exchange resins, now predominates. There are also richer ones, distilled at normal pressure with a pronounced barley aroma, and shochu that has rested in oak barrels.
Iki. Under the standard for this protected name, only barley may be used as grain and only rice koji; the ratio of koji to barley is roughly 1 : 2 by weight. The water must come from Iki city, and fermentation, distillation, storage and bottling must take place on the island. Iki is considered the birthplace of barley shochu.
Why this matters to you. Mugi shōchū often seems soft, especially the light styles, but its strength can reach 45% ABV, so check the label. The name 'Iki' guarantees island origin and rice koji. In Japan it is often diluted with water. WHO reminds that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | barley, rice or barley koji, water |
|---|---|
| Distillation method | single distillation; under reduced or normal pressure |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | up to 45% ABV (single-distilled shochu) |
| Legal basis | Japanese Liquor Tax Act, art. 3 para. 10; PGI 'Iki' since 30.06.1995 |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Mugi shōchū → kind of → 🍶 Asian spirit traditions → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Japanese
- Part of
- 🥃 Shochu, 🍶 Asian spirit traditions
- Related to
- 🌍 East Asia
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Kome shōchū, 🥃 Imo shōchū, 🥃 Kokutō shōchū, 🥃 Awamori, 🥃 Kokutō shōchū, 🥃 Kome shōchū, 🥃 Kuma, 🥃 Satsuma, 🥃 Soba shōchū
Frequently asked questions
What is mugi shōchū made from?
From barley and koji: on Iki with rice koji, in Oita more often with barley koji.
What is the ABV of mugi shōchū?
As a single-distilled shochu, up to 45% ABV; the bottled product is often diluted.
What does 'Iki' on the label mean?
A protected Japanese name since 1995: only barley and rice koji (about 1 : 2), water from Iki city, and fermentation, distillation, storage and bottling on the island.
Is mugi shōchū a Japanese vodka?
No. It is distilled once, so it keeps the barley taste; vodka is purified to a neutral taste.
Why are some mugi shōchū light and others rich?
Because of the distillation method: under reduced pressure it gives a light style, at normal pressure a more pronounced barley aroma; some are also aged in oak.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🌍 East Asia — A region in the east of Asia — China, Japan and Korea: milk became an everyday food only in the 20th century, but there are old traditions such as rushan and so; China ranks third in the world for vineyard area.
- 🥃 Awamori — Okinawan distillate from rice koji of black mold; GI Ryukyu since 1995; kusu is aged 3 years or more in jars and bottles.
Similar
🥃 Imo shōchū · 🥃 Kome shōchū · 🥃 Kokutō shōchū · 🥃 Soba shōchū · 🥃 Shochu · 🥃 Kūsu
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- NTA, Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau: 焼酎に関するもの — 麦焼酎: shochu mainly from barley, made in Nagasaki (Iki shochu), Oita and across Japan; light styles by reduced-pressure distillation or ion-exchange now dominant; also atmospheric-distilled and oak-cask-stored types
- NTA: production standard of the GI 'Iki' (壱岐), amended 23.02.2018 — barley as the only grain; only rice koji; koji to grain about 1:2 by weight; water from Iki City (Nagasaki); fermentation, distillation in a pot still, storage and bottling in Iki City
- National Tax Agency of Japan: list of geographical indications for liquor — Iki, Iki City (Nagasaki), designated 30.06.1995
- Liquor Tax Act of Japan (酒税法, Act No. 6 of 1953), Art. 3 item 10: single-distillation shochu up to 45 % vol. (e-Gov)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)