This overview of shochu is provided to us by Vanessa McGrady, a LA-based writer who also blogs at 40Licious and Art of the Find.I’m a lucky person, it turns out. So lucky, in fact, that I was invited on a 10-day press trip to Japan, where the good folks of the Japanese External Trade Organization gave me and seven other American writers a crash course in Japanese food, drink and culture.I came away quite captivated by the shochu. It’s versatile – a gritty stunt double for cheap tequila, or an airy, smooth alternative to vodka. A shocking-pink sweet version is flavored by the red shiso leaf; a mellow gold brew with faint coconut aftertaste has been informed by its aging in an oak cask. Shochu is infused with almost any fruit you can think of – my favorites are plum and yuzu, a citrus that’s kind of a cross between a meyer lemon and a grapefruit.Sadly, most of the shochu varieties I tasted are not available in the US – yet. But you can find the ones that are in Asian grocery stores that are permitted to sell hard liquor (in California, for example) and in liquor stores in Asian neighborhoods.Trying to navigate the endless varieties of shochu and how to drink them can be daunting. Here’s a general guide, if your Japanese language skills are rusty or, as in my case, nonexistent.The lighter the bottle, the lighter the brew. Dark and black shochu bottles tend to carry more powerfully flavored versions that seem to verge on a tequila or mescal. A clear, light-green or light-blue bottle will probably have a grassy or icy tasting brew, or one that’s so pure, like great vodka, you can hardly taste anything at all except the essence of its origin.Look for pictures if you can’t read the words. Japanese food-product label designers have a great design sense, so a sweet shochu will probably have a picture of a fruit on it, and a cute writing. It’s relatively inexpensive, so have fun experimenting.Like fine wines and spirits everywhere, the best way to have premium shochu is neat, or on the rocks with a splash or water or soda, and possibly with a garnish. (I made the mistake of asking a high-end shochu rep what kind of cocktail she would make if she was hanging out with her girlfriends. She gave me a puzzled look and said she might add some soda. My Japanese guide whisked me to the side and explained that it’s insulting to muddy a fine shochu with other ingredients.) There was, however, one shochu maker who shared his guilty-pleasure cocktail with me. He likes his on the rocks with Welch’s grape juice. From this, I took inspiration for the following cocktail:Kumamoto Blue2 oz. clear, light shochu3 oz. POM pomegranite-blueberry juiceJuice of ½ limeSplash sodaGarnish with limeSwizzle lightly over rocks. Kampai!