My Very First Shochu

I had always thought that shochu is some very spicy alcohol that would burn my throat, but given how much I enjoy chu-hi, which is very often mixed with shochu, I thought I had to try one on its own.

Takara is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest shochu brands.

The one I tried was 20% in alcoholic content, and this 220 mL cup was around 160 yen.

I was ready for a burn when I took the first sip, but this was surprisingly easy to drink! Way too easy...

... and within a few minutes, the alcohol got to me. After half the cup, I put it down and saved the rest for the next day.

Obviously I need some time to get used to this, but this was really easy to drink, and here is my path towards becoming more and more like a Japanese old man by drinking shochu.