The adaptability of iichiko Saiten

Often said to be the best spirit you've probably never tasted, shochu has a long and storied history as Japan's favourite traditional spirit. Usually single distilled and often sitting at an ABV of around 25%, shochu has always been popular in its native land due to its drinkability. 

Yet, as far as cocktails are concerned, it has often been seen as a spirit that can easily be overwhelmed by other flavours. That is until the advent of iichiko Saiten. Distilled by Sanwa Shurui on Kyushu Island, iichiko Saiten has been bottled at 43% and designed specifically to work in cocktails. 

To explore exactly what this means we talked to iichiko brand ambassador Tetsuro Miyazaki, brand ambassador Natasha Sofia, and cultural expert Jessica Joly.