Garari Sendagaya

One of the best places in Tokyo to enjoy brown sugar shochu—kokutu shochu—the specialty of the Amami Islands. It’s not nearly as sweet as you might think, it’s more like an earthy rum. But at just 30 percent alcohol, you can taste the layers and complexities more than with rum. Only brown sugar shochu from Amami can officially call itself kokuto shochu and some of it is tough to find in Tokyo. They have several rare ones here. Just ask the waiter.