Awamori: Understanding Okinawa's Original Distilled Spirit

Awamori is often lumped in with shochu, but two features set it apart: it's fermented using black koji (kurokoji), a mold variety mostly unique to Okinawa that produces citric acid and helps the mash survive the subtropical climate, and it has traditionally used long-grain indica rice from Thailand rather than Japanese short-grain rice. Its roots trace back roughly 500-600 years to trade with Siam through the Ryukyu Kingdom, making it a strong candidate for Japan's oldest distilled spirit.

Awamori aged three years or more is called kusu, and traditional producers use a blending method called shitsugi, where older aged awamori is topped up with younger spirit rather than bottled as a single vintage — the goal is a continuously mellowing house style rather than a snapshot of one year. Aged kusu is noticeably smoother and rounder than young awamori, closer to a fine brandy in character, and worth trying if you only know awamori as a strong mixer.