Imo shochu-based spirit using rosé wine yeast released by Kagoshima company

PUBLISHED Apr 27, 2023

Imo shochu-based spirit “NANAIRO - 七色”

On April 24, LINK SPIRITS (Yasuicho, Kagoshima City) released “NANAIRO – 七色,” an imo shochu-based spirit made with rosé wine yeast.

The company, which develops and markets shochu and sweet potato-based products, was founded last June by Saki Tominaga, the second Miss Satsuma Shochu and a certified shochu sommelier. NANAIRO, meaning “rainbow colors,” is their first product, manufactured by Wakashio Shuzo Distillery.

Imo shochu is made from sweet potatoes. The sweet potato variety used for NANAIRO is “Konaishin.” This variety has not been used as a raw ingredient for shochu because of its fibrous nature and the time and labor required to prepare it, but since it exhibits relatively high resistance to foot rot disease that has plagued sweet potato farmers in recent years, the Wakashio Shuzo has been working to develop products using the variety.

The company has focused on aroma and sweetness, aiming to “cultivate a new market, including women and the younger generation.” They say that the product has a “flowery aroma and sweet taste” achieved through vacuum distillation with rosé wine yeast. Using purple sweet potato pigment to create a pink color added “a glamorous touch that will be appreciated as a gift.”

Tominaga recommends placing the entire bottle in the freezer and drinking it chilled. “We hope people will enjoy the varying flavors and aromas by drinking it with soda, on the rocks, or in other ways,” she says. The website also offers recipes for dishes that go well with this product.

NANAIRO is priced at 4,400 yen (500ml) and is available through the LINK SPIRITS site.

  • Enjoy the varying flavors and aromas

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