Dassai Shochu — When Sake Becomes a Spirit
This one confuses people at first.
It says Dassai, but it’s not sake.
It’s shochu, but it doesn’t drink like most shochu.
Once you understand what it is, it makes a lot of sense.
What is Dassai Shochu?
Dassai Shochu is a kasu-tori shochu, meaning it’s distilled from sake lees.
Those lees come directly from the production of Dassai’s Junmai Daiginjo sake.
Instead of starting from raw rice like most shochu, this starts from something that’s already been refined, fermented, and full of aroma.
In simple terms:
It’s a distilled expression of Dassai sake.
Why It Exists
Dassai focuses only on Junmai Daiginjo.
That means:
Highly polished rice
Precision brewing
A large amount of sake kasu as a byproduct
Instead of treating that as waste, they turn it into something else.
Dassai Shochu is built from the same foundation as the sake, just taken one step further.
How It’s Made
The process starts the same way as their sake.
Brew Junmai Daiginjo
Collect the sake lees
Distill to extract aroma and alcohol
Bottle as a clean, high-proof spirit
Because the starting material is already so refined, the final product stays light, aromatic, and controlled.
What It Tastes Like
This is where it separates from most shochu.
Aroma
Fruity, floral, very similar to Dassai sake
Taste
Clean, slightly sweet, soft rice character
Finish
Dry but smooth, with lingering fruit notes
It doesn’t have the heaviness of sweet potato or the grain-forward edge of barley.
It feels closer to sake, just more structured.
How to Drink It
Keep it simple and let it show.
Neat
On the rocks
Soda highball
The highball works especially well. It lifts the aromatics and makes it very easy to drink.
Why It’s Different
Most shochu is built from raw ingredients.
This isn’t.
It’s made from something that’s already been carefully brewed at a high level.
That changes everything.
More aromatic
Cleaner profile
More familiar to sake drinkers
It sits in between categories.
Why We Carry It at Juraku
It bridges a gap.
If you like Dassai sake, this is an easy step into spirits.
If you usually drink whiskey, this is something lighter and more refined.
It’s also just different enough to stand out.
And that’s something we look for.
Pair It With
Yakitori
Karaage
Lighter dishes where the aroma can stand out
It won’t overpower the food, but it still holds its own.
When to Order It
When you want to try something new
When you’re between sake and whiskey
When you want something clean but still interesting
It’s a good reset drink.
Try It at Juraku
Available now at Izakaya Juraku, Lower East Side.
If you like Dassai, this is worth trying.
Follow Juraku
Instagram: @izakayajuraku
Website: https://www.izakayajuraku.com