Chuko Distillery
Tomigusuku, Okinawa Prefecture
Situated south of Naha City on the main island of Okinawa, Chuko Distillery has been in operation since 1949. Originally called Tomigusuku Distillery, Chuko was renamed after its founder Chuko Oshiro upon his retirement. While making wonderfully traditional Ryukyu Awamori, Chuko has also forged ahead in reviving an Okinawan pottery tradition that was believed to be lost to history. Since 1989 Chuko has been making ceramic aging vessels in a pottery studio and kiln adjacent to the wooden aging warehouse, the largest wooden structure in Okinawa.
Available from this distillery
Japan’s Original Spirit: Ryukyu Awamori
Ryukyu Awamori is a World Trade Organization-protected geographical indication for 100% rice koji fermentations brewed and distilled in Okinawa, the southern tropical islands of Japan. A typical koji propagation lasts 2 days for almost all modern koji spirit brands. Yokka Koji doubles that. The name can be translated as “4-day koji,” and the resulting flavor and aroma profile is off the charts. Made with the ancient Okinawan mold, black koji, distilled once in a horizontal stainless steel pot still, and bottled at full proof, Yokka Koji is a full-bodied, unrelenting example of authentic Ryukyu Awamori.
