Shochu is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from barley , sweet potatoes , buckwheat , or rice, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as brown sugar, chestnut, sesame seeds, or even carrots. Typically shochu contains approximately 25% alcohol by volume, which is weaker than whisky or standard-strength vodka but stronger than wine and sake. It is not uncommon for multiple-distilled shochu, which is more likely to be used in mixed drinks, to contain up to 35% alcohol by volume.

Shochu originated in Kyushu but is produced in locations throughout Japan.