Hokkaido Distillery Begins Shochu Production Using Locally Grown Potatoes, Celebrates 50 Years of Shochu Made Using Potatoes

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Staff stir a mixture to produce shochu at Kiyosato Shochu Distillery in Kiyosato, Hokkaido, on Sept. 16.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:19 JST, October 13, 2025

KIYOSATO, Hokkaido — A distillery in Kiyosato, Hokkaido, has started the process of making shochu using locally grown potatoes.

At Kiyosato Shochu Distillery, mashed steamed potatoes from Hokkaido were added to tanks containing moromi made of fermented barley mash. The staff then used long poles to stir the mixture.

While carefully monitoring the temperature, the mixture is stirred about three times a day to promote fermentation.

The process, which began on Sept. 16, takes about three weeks, after which it is distilled. Then, the aging process begins.

Fifty years have passed since shochu was first made using potatoes in 1975. Although this year’s potatoes are smaller due to the intense summer heat, the quality remains unaffected.

Fourteen rounds of production are scheduled through late November and is expected to yield 28,000 liters of shochu.

“We’re putting our hearts into the work,” said Kiyosato Shochu Distillery director Seiichi Niwa.

To mark the 50th anniversary, the town has released limited edition versions, including Genshu 18-Year, which is undiluted shochu that has matured for 18 years; Genshu Kame Jukusei, which is undiluted shochu matured in a clay pot; and Sherry Taru Jukusei, which is shochu matured in a sherry cask.