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Naturally, I am much more of a beer and wine drinker, but I can also appreciate a good spirit.  Over here in the States, Japanese sake takes the limelight so not many people know about other types of Japanese spirits, but they do exist.  Low carb/keto people should also know that Japanese sake is actually brewed, which means it has carbs (about 2.5g per 1.5oz).  So, meet shochu – a barley distilled spirit that has no carbs.  I would describe this drink similar to vodka but sweeter. The brand I drink is called iichiko but there are many different brands available.  As with most spirits, you can prepare it many different ways.  Some people drink it neat, on rocks, split with hot water, but I prefer adding umeboshi which creates a subtle complexity of sourness to balance the sweetness of shochu.

Preparing this is super easy, so even after 2, 3, 4, 5 drinks, you can’t mess it up!  The only thing you will need is shochu, a glass, and umeboshi.  If you do not have access to umeboshi, you can try this paste that should work (just add a small squeeze of it).  A quick note, umeboshi comes in different types which mainly are original, shiso, or sweet (honey).  You can use whichever you like, but I personally prefer shiso for this mix.

Now, let’s get started!

Prepping Time 1M

Total Time 1M

Net Carb/Serv 0g

Servings 1

Ume Iichiko Shochu

The BEST Asian Low-Carb/Keto Japanese Alcoholic drink idea. Refreshing and a change from your Western spirits. Perfectly pairs with many Asian dinners. Net Carb/Serv 0g

5 from 2 votes

Course: Cocktail

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: iichiko, japanesealcohol, ketoasianalcohol, ketococktails, lowcarbcocktails

Prep Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 1 minute

Servings: 1

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 oz Shochu
• 1 Whole Umeboshi

Instructions

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Pour shochu in a cup.
• Add umeboshi inside.
• Serve with you favorite salty side dish.

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