Dodger Stadium is well known for more than just baseball, the Dodger Dog and pairing it with a cold beverage are a staple of Southern California. Bringing it all together is why more than three million people watch the Dodgers every season. To get that experience to a new level, they have recently introduced Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu from Japan. Shochu is not only Japan’s oldest distilled alcoholic beverage, but it is also Japan’s most popular spirit.
In the past few years, baseball games’ food and beverage list has started going well beyond peanuts and beer, providing options for everyone in attendance. Dodger Stadium seemingly could sell out every game regardless of what they serve, but that is not how they do it. Bringing the unique flavor of Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu is just another way to differentiate Dodger Stadium from the other ballparks across the United States.
Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu to the novice drinker would likely find the first sip comparable to something in the family of sake. offers a smooth and balanced flavor profile. The initial sip is clean and crisp, with a mild sweetness from the barley and then it gradually gives you more depth with hints of nutty and toasty flavors, characteristic of a well-crafted barley shochu. A subtle umami presence rounds out the taste, making each sip more satisfying than the last and making it incredibly easy to drink.
The finish is smooth and lingering, leaving a pleasant aftertaste that is slightly sweet and nutty. It doesn’t overwhelm the palate, making it a versatile shochu that can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or as part of a cocktail. One of the standout features of Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu is its versatility. It can be enjoyed in various ways depending on the drinker’s preference. Neat, it provides a pure, unadulterated taste experience. On the rocks, it becomes a refreshing, cool drink perfect for warmer days. It also pairs well with mixers in cocktails, adding depth without overpowering the other ingredients. You can enjoy Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu by the bottle in the Bank of America Suites for $55 per 900ml bottle.
Enjoying a ballgame all by itself is a great experience, but walking through the gates of Dodger Stadium brings you to not only a game, but it is always an iconic and historical setting. Now you can enjoy a historical pour as you can be one of the first to enjoy the national spirit of Japan while taking in America’s National Pastime.
Check out the Dodgers’ schedule for the next chance to experience Nikaido at the ballgame for yourself.
For those who can’t make it to the ballpark, Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu is available at Southern California retailers like: Hi-Time Wine Cellars.
About NIKAIDO Shuzou
The Nikaido family has been brewing and distilling in Oita prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, for eight generations. Founded in Hiji-Machi in 1866 as a nihon-shu brewery, it has remained in the ownership of the Nikaido family ever since.
In 1949, NIKAIDO began to switch production from nihon-shu to shochu, drawing on the family’s generations of experience working with koji, the essential component in the making of nihon-shu and shochu.
Since the 16th century, shochu has been made using rice koji. But in the early 1970s, Mr. Akira Nikaido, the 6th generation president of the NIKAIDO company, began to develop a novel method of making a 100% barley koji, with the aim of creating a shochu with a cleaner, more broadly palatable flavor profile. He predicted that this would make shochu more accessible to the drinking public, and lead to a growth in popularity of the spirit. When combined with vacuum distillation, the resulting liquid was a new, easier-drinking style that preserved delicate floral aromas and subtle vanilla, toasted coconut, and stone-fruit flavor notes.
In 1973, the first 100% mugi (barley) shochu was released to an enthusiastic public. What was once a region-specific spirit soon became the national drink of Japan, and mugi shochu became the style for which Oita prefecture was known. Oita is now the origin of 99.6% of Japan’s mugi shochu.
Learn more at https://nikaidoshuzou.jp/ and @nikaido.shochu
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