How to choose a Shirayuri — new spirit or aged kusu, Shirayuri or Akanma, and how to drink it

You decide to buy a bottle of Shirayuri, Ishigaki Island's awamori — and then you stall. There is the classic at 30% ABV, something aged and mellow-looking, a fierce 44, and another label entirely called Akanma. From the outside, it is hard to tell what is what.

This article is a map through that hesitation, drawn from the words of Ikehara Yu, third-generation head of Ikehara Shuzo, the distillery that makes Shirayuri.

First, Shirayuri's character — the edge is the point

Shirayuri tastes of dense, earthy aromas and a vanilla-like note. It sits firmly at the characterful end of awamori, which is exactly why it has such committed fans. The rice is Thai rice, a natural partner for black koji. Deliberately rough filtration that leaves complexity in, a pot still used for over 70 years, every step done by hand — the layers of stubbornness add up to the flavor.

One practical note: when temperatures drop, white sediment can appear in the bottle. It is a natural fatty-acid compound and nothing to worry about.

Label by label — Shirayuri, Akanma, kusu, inui 44

The flagship is Shirayuri (30% ABV): the distillery's signature, and the straightest way to taste what Shirayuri is about.

Akanma (25% ABV) is the second label, made since a few years after the distillery's founding. It is somewhat milder than Shirayuri — a good first step if strong-charactered spirits are new to you.

Aged awamori, called kusu, brings vanilla aromas and a complex, rounded palate — the opposite pole from the crisp sweetness of a fresh distillate. There is even a curiosity called the chocolate-pairing awamori, a 15-year kusu bottled specifically to drink with chocolate.

And then there is Shirayuri inui 44 (44% ABV), made with inui-kin, a rare pre-war black koji strain, and developed together with fans through crowdfunding. In 2021 it won Double Gold and Best of Class at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition — a first in awamori history.

How to drink it — start with soda or water

If awamori is new to you, the owner's advice is to start with a highball of soda water, or simply cut it with still water. From there, try it on the rocks — or go further: Shirayuri stretches surprisingly well into coffee and even sangria-style arrangements.

With food, the owner's standing answers are sashimi with awamori-and-water, and fried chicken with an awamori soda. A well-aged kusu also suits a slow glass after dinner.

Where to buy, and who to ask

You can buy the bottles from the distillery's official online shop. Prices and stock change, so check the official site for the latest.

And if you cannot decide, there is a window for that. The brewery owner has approved an online consultation service: tell it your taste or who the bottle is for, and ask how to choose — even before your trip. It clearly discloses that an AI is answering, the content is based on the owner's first-hand information, and it is free.