This episode covers Christopher Pellegrini, who became captivated with the idea of brewing from a simple school assignment researching the prohibition era. That captivation turned into brewing at home, working for Otter Creek in Vermont, becoming the youngest commercial brewer in the United States, and eventually becoming a shochu and awamori expert in Japan.


Since those humble beginnings, Christopher launched Honkaku Spirits in March of 2020 with the mission of bringing Japanese spirits to American consumers. He’s a contributor to the award-winning “Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails,” and the author of the first non-Japanese book about shochu and awamori: “The Shochu Handbook.” Christopher also co-hosts two podcasts focused on the education of Japanese spirits: Japan Distilled and Sake on Air.


The conversation ranges from Christopher’s origin story into the craft beer world, to his transition into craft spirits, to different ways to enjoy shochu, and even some cultural differences between The United States and Japan in regards to doing business. Christopher truly lives up to the title of expert for shochu and awamori, so be sure to check out the resources below in order to obtain more information, and to stay updated on all the exciting things Christopher has in the works.


Honkaku Spirits Website: https://honkakuspirits.com/


Christopher on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pellegrinichristopher/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopherpellegrini/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisPellegrini


Japan Distilled Podcast: https://japandistilled.com/


Sake on Air Podcast: https://sakeonair.com/


Smith and the Loyalist Restaurants: https://www.smythandtheloyalist.com/


The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails: https://smile.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Spirits-Cocktails/dp/0199311137/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=oxford+companion+to+spirits+and+cocktails&qid=1654975069&sprefix=oxford%27s+companion+to+spir%2Caps%2C219&sr=8-1


Koji Alchemy: https://smile.amazon.com/Koji-Alchemy-Rediscovering-Mold-Based-Fermentation/dp/160358868X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=koji+alchemy&qid=1654975152&sprefix=koji+alch%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1

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