Awamori stored in clay pots at a home in Okinawa — Photo courtesy of Satoshi Nishizawa
In Okinawa, almost all rites of passage include celebrating with awamori, Japan's oldest distilled liquor. It's often a gift for births, coming-of-age celebrations, weddings, retirement parties, and funerals.
Because the distilled liquor, made only in Okinawa and from black koji mold, gets better with age, bottles are often passed down from generation to generation. Drink it straight, on the rocks, or as a base for trendy cocktails.
What does awamori taste like?
Awamori mixed with water, a classic izakaya drink — Photo courtesy of Yuzuru Gima / iStock Via Getty Images
Awamori is a clear spirit with a strong alcohol content and a bite — especially in the first sip. Although sugar-free, it smells and tastes surprisingly sweet, with notes of vanilla and caramel and a rustic earthiness.
Adding ice makes the aroma milder and smoother, but it still has its sweet vanilla taste. Awamori mellows with age, with some brands imparting a slightly oily mouthfeel. The brand, the age, and how it's served greatly impact awamori's smell and taste.
How is awamori made?
Awamori being aged at Matsufuji distillery — Photo courtesy of Kumiko Teruya
Made with black koji mold and rice imported from Thailand, awamori is one of the most unique beverages for Okinawa and for Japan as a whole. The country is proud of its rice, but Thai rice paired with black koji mold is a match made in heaven. Okinawa's abundant "soft" spring water is the icing on the cake.
Why Thai rice? Before Okinawa became part of Japan in 1879, its Asian trading partners included Siam (present-day Thailand), which introduced a technique for distilling alcohol almost 600 years ago.
The rice is washed, soaked in water, and steamed using a distillation process that has changed little over the centuries. It's then inoculated with black koji mold, which breaks down rice's starch into sugar.
The surface of Awamori during the fermentation process — Photo courtesy of TokioMarineLife / iStock Via Getty Images
This pairing is essential. Not only is Thai rice more receptive to black koji mold than Japanese rice, but the black koji acts as a preservative, producing high concentrations of citric acid resistant to bacteria in Okinawa's hot, humid climate. Black koji is also what gives awamori its distinct flavor and aroma.
After two or three days of germination, what is now called koji rice is mixed with water and yeast and undergoes a single distillation, a distinction from other hard liquors with multiple distillation processes. Traditionally distilled in clay pots but now also in stainless steel, the fermented mash is heated, allowing the alcohol to vaporize before being condensed into distilled liquor.
The result is a potent spirit that imparts different flavors depending on the company making it and its age. Although some awamori brands contain more than 40% alcohol, most have about 25% to 30% alcohol content.
What's the difference between awamori and sake?
Awamori products for sale at Matsufuji distillery — Photo courtesy of Kumiko Teruya
Awamori and sake are both made from rice, water, yeast, and koji mold. The main difference is that awamori is a distilled spirit, while sake is brewed. In addition, awamori uses long-grain Thai indica rice and black koji mold; whereas, sake typically uses japonica short — or medium-grain rice — and yellow koji.
Koji mold, crucial in producing everything from liquor and soy sauce to miso, is so vital to Japanese culture that the Brewing Society of Japan declared koji mold the "national mold" of Japan in 2006.
Matsufuji distillery in business since 1905 — Photo courtesy of Matsufuji Inc.
There are 46 awamori distilleries in Okinawa, many with roots stretching back to the 19th and 20th centuries. Although each brand has a different flavor, black koji provides sweetness, and vanilla and caramel notes are common.
Does awamori go bad?
Awamori has no expiration date. The longer the distilled liquor ages (Okinawans call it "letting it sleep" or "laying it down"), the better it gets. It's best stored in clay pots, making the flavors mellow and mature, often becoming richer.
Awamori that sleeps for three or more years is called kusu. Although 10-year-old kusu is unique, it gets even better after 20 or 25 years. Theoretically, awamori can age forever, but Okinawa's destruction during World War II destroyed most of its distilled liquor stock.
One Okinawan tradition is adding new awamori to old batches to enrich it. This also enables folks to pass their stock down to children and grandchildren. The shitsugi method was developed hundreds of years ago during the Ryukyu Kingdom when families stored a succession of awamori pots outside their homes. Whenever someone wanted awamori, they'd take it from the first pot closest to the door, replace it with some awamori from the second pot, which in turn was replenished with younger awamori from the third pot, and so on down the line.
How is awamori served?
Awamori distilled liquor, a good base for cocktails, like this basil mojito — Photo courtesy of Matsufuji Inc.
The traditional Okinawan way of serving awamori is straight up, with ice and a water pitcher on the side. If you've splurged on kusu, drink it straight and savor it in small sips to appreciate the flavor as it deepens.
Otherwise, Okinawans drink it on the rocks, mixed with hot or cold water, or topped with club soda or fruit juice. You can even add it to coffee and milk.
Like gin or vodka, awamori is also a good base for cocktails. Matsufuji Inc., founded in 1905, produces its award-winning Aka no Matsufuji specifically for cocktails. Made with yeast extracted from brown sugar, it has a sweet aroma that is perfect with carbonated sodas or mojitos. Some distilleries also produce flavored varieties, such as plum-flavored kusu.
Awamori tasting paired with cheese and meats — Photo courtesy of Alexandra Gómez
Awamori has also found its way into Okinawan cuisine, including as a marinade to tenderize meat and in soups and stews. Tofuyo is fermented tofu soaked in rice koji and awamori. Rafute is pork belly simmered in fish broth, soy sauce, Okinawan black sugar, and awamori.
Okinawa is one of the world's five blue zones, with a high percentage of centenarians. Who's to say awamori isn't a part of that?
Where can I buy awamori?
You can find awamori in some Japanese restaurants or specialty stores like Kuraichi in Brooklyn, New York. You also can order online through websites like Astor Wines and Spirits, Awamori Spirits, and Webb's Grainworks, but shipping restrictions may apply.