chu-hi recipe

i noticed someone who found my blog was searching for a recipe to make the delicious libation this blog takes it’s name from, chu-hi. so here’s a quick basic recipe.

chu-hi gets it’s name in japan from chu, (short for shochu, a vodka like spirit) and hi (short for hi-ball). the ones in japan are made from shochu and a carbonated fruit flavored mixer (grapefruit, lemon, lychee).

if you live in a big city that has a japanese super market like nijiya, you can find decent shochu at a reasonable price. i like iichiko (pictured) and takara puts out an ok cheapie. they are about $12-14 for a liter sized bottle. if you don’t have a japanese market, try your local liquor store. if they don’t carry it, see if they can special order a bottle. may cost more, but since shochu is made from barley or potato or various other grains, it typically has a flavor that is distinct from vodka, so you shouldn’t substitute.

for the mix, if you have a trader joe’s in your town they have some really great carbonated fruit juices you can mix with that give your chu-hi a real deal flavor. otherwise, any supermarket usually sells some kind of carbonated fruit juice.

just mix together at whatever strength you prefer and pour over ice (or not) and you have yourself a pretty damn good approximation of the legendary chu-hi from japan.