What's the difference between shochu and sake?

Difference 1: the difference between drinking methods.

The drinking method of sake is more particular. Japanese people are very particular about drinking sake. Traditionally, they drink ice wine from March 3 to September 9 of the lunar calendar. When the weather is cold in autumn and winter, hot drink: put the wine bottle into boiling water and gradually heat up. There are not too hot wine, there are slightly hot wine, there are just right hot wine and hot wine. The temperature of non-hot wine is about 40℃ and the temperature of hot wine is 55℃, which is controlled by hot wine thermometer, which is very convenient.

The drinking method of shochu is to drink it with hot water, or to make cocktails with ice cubes and soda water. Except oolong tea and shochu, most of the cocktails of shochu are sweet. Many people like to add a prune when shochu is mixed with hot water.

Difference 2: the difference of alcohol degree

The degree of sake is relatively low. According to Japanese tax law, the degree of sake cannot exceed 22%. Common sake is basically between 12%- 18%. Because the specific gravity of alcohol is less than distilled water, the more alcohol, the smaller the specific gravity of wine and the higher the sake degree. The lighter and sweeter sake has less alcohol content, so the lower the degree of sake.

According to the Japanese tax law, the alcohol content of shochu stipulates that Grade A shochu shall not exceed 36 degrees and Grade B shochu shall not exceed 45 degrees. But in addition to foam, general shochu products are concentrated in the level of 27-34 degrees.

Difference 3: the difference of brewing technology

Sake is a kind of wine made from rice by fermentation and filtration under the action of koji, which is transparent in color and low in alcohol content. The classification of Japanese sake is based on the different proportions of polished rice, brown rice and koji rice and the length of fermentation time. Among them, the best classification of sake is Yin Da _ wine, and the proportion of brown rice is over 50% and the fermentation time is long.

Soju can also be divided into this kind of shochu (Grade B shochu) and Grade A shochu. Grade B shochu is made entirely of grains. Usually a single kind of starch is used, such as sweet potato, potato, chestnut, barley and buckwheat. After twice fermentation and distillation and proper dilution, it becomes transparent shochu. Compared with sake, it has a stronger taste and lower sugar content.