How to enjoy Awamori

You have to try the local alcohol during your stay in Okinawa.
Yes, it’s about Okinawa’s one and only distilled liquor made from rice, “Awamori”.

Many people drink Awamori straight or on the rocks to enjoy its original taste and fragrance. However, Uchinanchu (local dialect for Okinawan people) know many more ways to enjoy this drink.

First, you may want to try it with water.
It may sound simple, but there’s a lot to its background, and many Okinawan people drink Awamori this way.

There are many ways to drink Awamori with water.
If you are drinking Awamori with a mellow fragrance or a vintage Awamori, the recommended ratio of Awamori and water is 6:4 or 5:5.
A 3:7 ratio is suggested for when you want to quench your thirst on hot days.
Another way to enjoy “Awamori with water” is to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Doing so will mellow the taste, showing you an entirely new world of Awamori.

You can also add a few drips of shikuwasa (Okinawan lime) to enjoy the taste it creates. Even mixing it with milk or coffee will create a new flavor.

Today, Awamori is recently being enjoyed like western liquor: as cocktails mixed with liqueur, coke, mango juice, etc.

The good thing about Awamori is that you can customize it and make your own original drink.

If interested in the traditional drinking style, you might also want to check out the drinking vessels.
There are special bottles for Awamori called “Kara-Kara”, as well as a hip flask called “Dachi-Bin” for outside drinking.