Once upon a time, shouchu dominated the cheap rotgut alcoholic market, and nihonshu (sake) was for more refined drunks. Then, evil foreign governments pressured Japan to accept cheap imports of Scotch whiskey, which they did. Shouchu makers, feeling threatened, decided the only way to compete was to refine the image of shouchu and make it more attractive. It worked. While Westerners are belatedly getting into “sake”, Japanese are busy sampling the regional varieties at elegant shouchu bars.

Nihonshu (sake) is sooo 1990.

However, as shouchu moved up-market to invade nihonshu territory, nihonshu has now returned the favor. They are moving down-market to invade the sparkling shouchu (chuu-hai) business - a longtime mainstay for cheap shouchu makers.

Whether this is a wise move or not will be decided tonight by the missus and me.

Kampai.