PURPOSE: Unsteamed fruits of dried dates are used as a material for secondary preparation to produce SHOCHU (distilled Japanese SAKE) with good flavors and sweetness characteristic in date palm fruits.

CONSTITUTION: KOJI (rice malt) is combined with water and a yeast to prepare a fermentation mash according to a usual method. Then, dried date palm fruits are stoned, cut into pieces and added together with water to the fermentation mash. After mixing, fermentation is carried out for several days, then distillation is effected to give the objective SHOCHU.