Black yeast water is added to the mixture , then is left to ferment for about two weeks. This is called unrefined sake and is moved to a distiller container for two and half hours. The result is mellow Awamori, but it still has to mature before being bottled for sale to the public. So, it is stored in tanks for at least three years. Some awamori distilleries like to add a little something extra to certain batches, such as ginseng or a habu snake (this type is usually used as a dare to see who is brave enough to drink the habu awamori).
A Little Awamori History
Awamori is said to have been introduced to Okinawa during the 14th-15th centuries. The name itself is thought to have come from a member of the Satsuma clan, who wanted to distinguish this unique kind of sake from other types of shochu. Others believe the name comes from the word "awa," which means millet (used as an ingredient) or the Japanese character "awa" (meaning foam) and the word "mori" which means amount, the theory being that the amount of foam determined how much alcohol content was in a certain batch of awamori. Ninety percent of the Awamori made in those days was for use only by the king and his family. The king issued licenses to 30 people to produce the awamori and these positions became hereditary, so that the family was devoted to producing only awamori.