Future Prospects for
Kuma Shochu

he future plan of the two brother distilleries (Tsutsumi Shuzo and Fusanotsuyu) is while Fusanotsuyu makes affordable shochu in a large distillation facility, Tsutsumi Shuzo is flexible and can make a wide variety of products on a smaller scale. Tsutsumi Shuzo has launched the first initiative in the Kuma shochu industry by developing a shochu for cooking! In many Japanese dishes, cooking sake is often used as an ingredient, however in the Hitoyoshi region, shochu has long been used instead. It was a natural thing to do, and no one in Hitoyoshi paid much attention to the fact they used shochu. People used it because it was there and easily available to them.
 
After researching the effects of shochu and finding that it makes food taste better, Tsutsumi Shuzo developed "Golden Cooking Shochu" by aging distilled shochu for more than three years, then adding a proprietary yeast to it and allowing it to rest even longer. "The distilled shochu removes the odor of meat or fish and enhances the umami of the ingredients," says Vice President Tsutsumi confidently, "and the shochu is a perfect accompaniment to the food," giving it his stamp of approval. A number of great comments and recipes recommended by famous chefs can be found on their website. Vice President Tsutsumi adds, "Our basic policy is to preserve the tradition of Kuma shochu, while we continue to take on the challenge of creating something new from it."