Hamada Shuzo launches new barley shochu brand CHILL GREEN, expands botanical line

PUBLISHED Feb 16, 2023

Barley shochu “CHILL GREEN spicy & citrus”

Ichikikushikino-based Hamada Shuzo will release a new barley shochu “CHILL GREEN spicy & citrus” on February 23.

The distillery has been developing a new brand of shochu to bring fresh wind to the barley shochu market amid challenging conditions with the imo shochu production due to the effects of sweet potato foot rot disease and other factors. The distillery followed the successful example of DAIYAME, which gained popularity among the novice shochu consumers, such as women and young people who were not familiar with shochu before, and greatly increased sales.

While DAIYAME is known as an aromatic shochu, characterized by its lychee flavor, the distillery decided to develop a “botanical shochu” this time. The spice used for the aroma was Magao, known as Mountain Pepper, harvested only in Taiwan and some parts of China. “It has a refreshing citrus aroma similar to lemongrass,” they explain. The aroma is extracted by adding Magao at the optimum timing to the unrefined shochu during fermentation, resulting in a barley shochu with “a characteristic citrus aroma and a spicy, sansho pepper-like smell.”

The brand name was coined by combining the English words “chill out” and “green,” which conjures up botanical and natural images. They chose the name with the hope that it would be a brand that would serve as a companion for people who want to enjoy a relaxing time in their hectic daily lives. The label design features an illustration of a Magao tree.

“We recommend drinking it with carbonated water,” Shuro Kawano, the public relations manager, says. “The flavor and aroma will change depending on the ratio you choose. It also goes well with spicy ethnic food, karaage, snacks, and desserts. We hope people will enjoy it in various ways, both with and after meals.”

The price is 1,419 yen. The product is currently available for pre-order at the online store Shochu.Life and will be on sale at liquor stores and some supermarkets in and outside the prefecture after the 23rd.

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