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EN Brasserie Japanese once kept a sake lounge in its airy, rectangular space to the right of the restaurant’s entry, but once shochu became all the rage, they erected towering rice-paper scrims around the four communal tables and redecorated the small bar with ceramic decanters and glowing jars of infused shochu. The 30 flavors honor both the traditional (dusty-tasting soba, spicy awamori, sweet potato) and less commonplace (black sesame, sugarcane, barley) takes on the Japanese spirit. As enlightening as a flight of the various versions may be, flashier drinkers may prefer one of the cocktails: Homemade ginger ale with rice shochu, lime juice and soda; shisho leaf with gin and lemon juice; or hand-squeezed pineapple juice with vodka and ginger. — Daniel Maurer