Assortment Planning
Before Adding Shochu to a Bangkok Menu｜Three Things to Consider
If a restaurant already serves sake, can its staff naturally explain shochu as well? Although both are Japanese alcoholic beverages, they differ in production methods, ingredients and ways of serving. Simply deciding to “expand the Japanese alcohol selection” does not establish what staff need to learn or which products the restaurant should choose.
When considering introducing shochu in Bangkok, it helps to address three questions separately: “What kind of alcoholic beverage is it?”, “Why should the restaurant offer it?” and “How should products be selected for their intended use?” These questions are connected, but using a single answer for all three can leave important gaps in staff explanations.
1. How Should Shochu Be Explained?
A good starting point is simply: “Shochu is a Japanese distilled spirit.” Placing it in the same category as whisky and gin helps customers understand what type of alcohol it is. From there, the explanation can move on to ingredients such as rice, barley and sweet potatoes.
When asked how shochu differs from sake, it is more useful to focus on the production process than on alcohol content. Sake is a brewed alcoholic beverage made by fermenting a mash containing rice, rice koji and other ingredients, then separating the liquid from the solids. Shochu, on the other hand, involves heating a fermented base and cooling the resulting vapour to collect a spirit containing alcohol and aromatic compounds. This process is called distillation.
However, the fact that shochu and vodka are both distilled spirits does not mean they have similar flavours or aromas. In honkaku shochu, a traditional type of Japanese distilled spirit, differences in ingredients, koji and distillation methods contribute to the flavour profile. Rather than overwhelming customers with technical terminology from the outset, it is easier to explain the type of alcohol first and then add one characteristic of the particular product.
2. How Can Shochu’s Cultural Background Be Connected to the Purpose of Introducing It?
In December 2024, traditional Japanese alcohol-making using koji mould was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Shochu and awamori are among the alcoholic beverages in which these techniques have been passed down.
What UNESCO recognised was not individual products, but the knowledge and skills passed from one generation to another. Describing a bottle as “UNESCO-certified shochu” could misleadingly suggest that the product itself has received certification. Koji, a key element of this craft, is made by cultivating koji mould on steamed rice or other ingredients. Explaining the work involved in assessing its condition and adapting alcohol-making to local climatic conditions more accurately reflects the purpose of the inscription.
There are also developments concerning the Thai market. In November 2025, a Japanese alcohol producer announced that it would begin selling shochu in Thailand in January 2026. However, that announcement alone does not reveal what customers at a particular restaurant actually want.
What should be shared internally is not only the industry news, but also the restaurant’s own objective. Is the goal to introduce Japanese distilling culture, or to broaden the range of ingredients used in cocktails? Defining the purpose clearly makes it easier to identify which product information needs to be examined.
3. Choosing Products for Their Intended Use: DAIYAME 40 and The SG Shochu
When selecting products, it is not enough to rely on generalisations such as “rice shochu is light” or “sweet potato shochu is bold.” Even when the same base ingredient is used, the final character can vary depending on the koji, distillation, storage and alcohol content at bottling.
One example is DAIYAME 40, distributed by Bacchus Global and made by Hamada Shuzo in Kagoshima. Its ingredients are sweet potatoes and rice koji. The producer highlights its lychee-like aroma and explains that it was designed at 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) to expand its potential as a cocktail ingredient.
Also distributed by Bacchus Global, The SG Shochu is a series jointly developed by bartender Shingo Gokan and Japanese distilleries. Its three types are based on rice, sweet potato and barley, with cocktail applications also considered in their design.
One of these, The SG Shochu MUGI, is made by Sanwa Shurui and bottled at 40% ABV. It blends five barley shochu base spirits produced under different distillation and maturation conditions. The official product information describes aromas of cacao, vanilla and oak.
Although DAIYAME 40 and The SG Shochu MUGI share the same 40% ABV, their aromatic profiles differ. Which aromas should the restaurant highlight, and what role should each spirit play on the menu? Adding intended use to the comparison of base ingredients and alcohol content creates a clearer framework for evaluating products.
The conditions for comparison also differ depending on whether shochu will be served as a standalone menu item or used in cocktails. Establishing serving sizes and whether water will be added helps staff distinguish between the alcohol content in the bottle and the drink as actually served.
Cultural background can support a product explanation, but it cannot replace an account of the characteristics of the individual bottle. Understand the type of spirit, define the purpose of introducing it, and examine each bottle’s design in relation to its intended use. Following these three questions in order turns the idea of “adding shochu to the menu” into concrete preparations for handling it in the restaurant.
This article provides educational information on shochu production, cultural heritage and product design, including DAIYAME 40 by Hamada Shuzo and The SG Shochu, a series co-developed by Shingo Gokan and Japanese distilleries. It does not promote the purchase or consumption of alcohol. Intended for readers aged 20 and over.
บทความนี้นำเสนอข้อมูลเพื่อการศึกษาเกี่ยวกับการผลิตโชจู มรดกทางวัฒนธรรม และการออกแบบผลิตภัณฑ์ รวมถึง DAIYAME 40 ของ Hamada Shuzo และ The SG Shochu ซึ่งเป็นซีรีส์ที่ Shingo Gokan ร่วมพัฒนากับผู้ผลิตโชจูในญี่ปุ่น มิได้มีเจตนาส่งเสริมการซื้อหรือการบริโภคเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ สำหรับผู้อ่านอายุ 20 ปีขึ้นไป
