It was also used as a major ingredient of alcohol and mirin (sweet rice wine for seasoning) the basis of plum wine and also often used as "hashira jochu" in the finished processing of rice wine to stop fermentation, preserve rice wine from decay, and make it dry.
梅酒をつける際にベースとなるアルコールやみりんの主原料としても使われた他、日本酒の仕上げ工程において中途で発酵を止め、防腐や辛口に仕上げる目的で用いられる「柱焼酎」として使われる場合も多かった。