!. Drank a lot of sochu.
2. Enjoy mid-high end imo (sweet potato) shochu. Sometimes sesame or buckwheat are fun, but in limited quantities. Not really into rice. Heihachiro is my favorite but can only get in JP or NY. Good imo shochu and fresh squeezed grapefruit is the perfect wobbly antidote to sticky japanese summers but I don’t find the call to make it much here. I used to otaku out on shochu 9-10 years ago but given high cost vs low abv it don’t sit on my bar much anymore.
3. In town, I order it on the rocks at various izakaya, sushi-ya or motsu joints. Decent selection at hakata yamaya (which is grand re-opening tomorrow so might have changed). I tend to order it over sake - particularly in summer.
Your point is a good one. There isn’t a dedicated shochu bar in town and there should be. It should be in Tujunga and have a creek that runs through it.