"Wondering what kinds of alcohol are available in hostess clubs?"

Hostess clubs offer a wide variety of alcohol, and their system can be broadly divided into house bottles, keep bottles, and cast drinks. The types of alcohol available include shochu, whiskey, champagne, wine, as well as beer, sake, and cocktails, making it a very diverse selection. In this article, we will focus on the standard types of alcohol commonly found in many hostess clubs and also introduce related terminology.

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1. House Bottles

House bottles are alcoholic beverages included in the seating fee (set fee) at hostess clubs. Each club offers several types, and as long as you pay the set fee, you can drink the house bottles as much as you like within the time limit.(Note: Some places do not offer house bottles) Here are the popular house bottles commonly found in hostess clubs:

Shochu

Shochu is very popular as a house bottle in hostess clubs. Here are some common types:

• Otsurui Shochu (Authentic Shochu)
  • Iichiko (barley shochu)
  • Nikaido (barley shochu)
  • Kurokirishima (sweet potato shochu)
• Korui Shochu
  • Kyougetsu
  • JINRO

These shochu are widely appreciated for their taste and can be enjoyed in various ways, such as with water, soda, on the rocks, or hot water, which is why they are selected as house bottles.

Whiskey

Here are the popular whiskeys as house bottles.

• Chivas Regal
• Suntory Kakubin
• Jack Daniel’s

These whiskeys are reasonably priced and are often provided as house bottles. However, in high-end hostess clubs, more expensive whiskeys might be offered as house bottles. Common ways to drink whiskey include on the rocks, with water, or with soda.

Brandy

Whiskey and brandy are often confused because their production processes and alcohol content are similar. However, whiskey is made from grains, while brandy is primarily made from white grapes. The house brandy in hostess clubs mostly includes the following:

• Nikka Dompierre VSO
• Suntory XO

Brandy is a drink to enjoy its aroma, so the basic way to drink it is "straight", without ice or water.

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2. Keep Bottles

Keep bottles are alcoholic beverages that customers order by the bottle and keep at the club for their personal use. Unlike house bottles, which are free-flowing but limited in variety, keep bottles allow customers to choose and order their preferred alcohol. Let’s look at the types of alcohol that are often chosen as keep bottles in hostess clubs. House shochu like Kyougetsu can also be ordered as keep bottles.

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Shochu

Here are some standard shochu that are popular and regularly stocked as keep bottles:

• Barley Shochu
  • Shinsui
  • Hyakunen no Kodoku
  • Kannoko
  • Genshiroku
• Sweet Potato Shochu
  • Kirishima series (black, white, red, akane)
  • Maou
  • Ikkokumon
• Others
  • Shiro (rice shochu)
  • Tantakatan (perilla shochu)
  • Lento (black sugar shochu)
  • Yuzu Komachi (yuzu shochu)

Whiskey

Whiskey is also very popular as a keep bottle, following shochu. Here are some particularly popular whiskeys:

• Japanese Whiskey
  • Yamazaki
  • Hibiki
  • Hakushu
• Scotch
  • Macallan
  • Ballantine’s
• Bourbon
  • Jim Beam
  • Maker’s Mark

Whiskey can be enjoyed in various ways based on the customer’s preference, including on the rocks, with water, soda, hot water, or even with juice.

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Brandy

There was a time when ordering brandy in hostess clubs was a status symbol. Nowadays, it is not as popular, but it still appears on tables.

• Rémy Martin
• Hennessy
• Camus

The above types are standard for keep bottles. Additionally, the following brandies with cute designs may appear on tables upon request from the cast:

• Ducastan
• Fortune Heart
• Teddy Decanter

Although these brandies are not easy to drink, their high design value bottles make the table look more glamorous.

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3. Cast Drinks

Hostess clubs also have "cast drinks," which are drinks bought for the cast members by customers. These drinks are typically priced around 2,000 yen per glass, following a uniform pricing system.

Here are some popular cast drinks:

• Oolong High
• Lemon Sour
• Red Eye
• Cassis Orange

Cast drinks include shochu-based drinks, cocktails, and beer mixes. If a customer offers, cast members can order anything, even soft drinks. Although there are a variety of cast drinks, to avoid affecting their work, they are often served in small glasses or as non-alcoholic options.

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4. Non-preservable Alcoholic Drinks Such As Champagne

In addition to "house bottles," "keep bottles," and "cast drinks," hostess clubs also offer various other types of alcohol. This includes non-preservable bottles like champagne and wine, among others.

‍Champagne

Many people associate hostess clubs with champagne! Because it fizzes when poured into a glass, it’s often called "awa" (bubbles) in professional terms. Here are some popular champagnes in hostess clubs along with their average retail prices:

• Veuve Clicquot
• Moët & Chandon
• Armand de Brignac
• Belle Époque
• Krug
• Dom Pérignon

Each champagne is further divided into rosé and other types, with significant price differences. Strictly speaking, champagne and sparkling wine are different, but in hostess clubs, they are often considered the same.

Popular types of sparkling wine include:

• Café de Paris
• Pompadour
• Listerel

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Wine

Although often overshadowed by champagne, hostess clubs also offer a variety of wines. Recently, more and more hostess clubs have wine cellars or sommeliers. Popular wines in hostess clubs include:

• Casillero del Diablo (red, white, rosé)
• Côte des Roses (red, white, rosé)
• Opus One (red)
• Romanée-Conti (red)

Opus One and Romanée-Conti are high-end wines in hostess clubs, with Romanée-Conti typically priced over 2,000,000 yen, making it a special wine.

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‍Cocktails

While cocktails are commonly associated with bars, hostess clubs also offer a variety of cocktails. When ordered, the staff will prepare the cocktails behind the scenes and bring them to the table. Common cocktails that most hostess clubs have include:

• Cassis Orange
• Kahlúa Milk
• Fuzzy Navel
• Spumoni
• Cassis Oolong

These cocktails are often chosen as cast drinks but are also popular among customers who do not enjoy regular alcohol.

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Shots

Shots are small drinks served in cold shot glasses and consumed in one go. They are also very popular in hostess clubs. Group tables or customers who want to live up the mood with cast members often order them.

Popular shot drinks include:

• Tequila
• Cocalero
• Jägermeister
• Kleiner Feigling

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Beer

Many customers prefer to start with a beer, so every hostess club always has beer available. If the club has a beer server, the staff will prepare and bring it to the table; for canned or bottled beer, the cast members might pour it into a glass. From domestic brands like Suntory and Asahi to international brands like Budweiser and Heineken, the types of beer available vary by club.