and Europe. The product, labelled as RYUKYU 1429 Authentic Ryukyu Awamori made its European debut in the UK in June 2019. Production Although awamori is a distilled rice liquor, it differs from Japanese shochu in several ways. Awamori is made in a single fermentation while shochu usually uses two fermentations. Furthermore, awamori uses Thai-style, long-grained Indica crushed rice rather than the short-grained Japonica usually used in shochu production. Finally, awamori exclusively uses black koji mold (Aspergillus awamori) indigenous to Okinawa, while Japanese shochu uses white (aspergillus kawachii), black, and yellow (Aspergillus oryzae) koji molds. Kusu When awamori is aged for three years or more, it is called . This pronunciation, which derives from Okinawan, is unique to awamori; elsewhere in Japan, the word is pronounced "koshu" and refers to aged sake. Legally, in order to earn the designation "kusu", the awamori must be aged for a minimum of three years. If a specific age is noted, then all of the contents must be of at least that age. Awamori is aged underground in constant cool temperatures in clay pots or vases. Containers of awamori can be found in the caves of Okinawa. Before the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, 200- and even 300-year-old kusu existed, but most of the oldest kusu were lost in the battle. However, the Shikina Distillery in Shuri own 100- and 150-year old kusu which are thought to be to be the oldest surviving. There are ongoing attempts to once again produce 200- and 300- year old kusu. Hanazake On Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island, the three distilleries of Donan, Yonaguni and Maifuna produce a variant of awamori called , lit. "flower liquor", which has an alcohol content of 60%. Originally intended for religious ceremonies, hanazake is traditionally consumed straight. Etymology The earliest known use of the term awamori (泡盛) is in a 1671 record of a gift from King Shō Tei of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the fourth shōgun, Tokugawa Ietsuna. Awamori was sent as a gift to the shogunate prior to 1671, but it was recorded as shōchū (焼酒 or 焼酎) in earlier records. Several explanations exist for the etymology of the word awamori. The Okinawan historian Iha Fuyū believed that the name derives from the word for millet (, awa), compounded with a verb-derived noun meaning "heaped amount; serving" (, mori). On this theory, the word was recorded incorrectly with the first