Nowadays usually discarded, the starchy water produced from washing rice has had a number of uses throughout history, from a popular hair care treatment during the Heian Period (794-1185), when it was common for women to keep floor-length hair, to being used as a gentle relief for gastric distress.
If you’re willing to forgo a little clarity, using uncooked rice as an additive for mixing cocktails is a fun way to uncover subtleties in your favorite sips. For me, the washing adds just the lightest amount of starch, which comes across as subtle silkiness. The smoothness and increased drinkability is, in food science terms, due to rice particles capturing volatile, alcoholic compounds and aromatic esters leading to a cleaner finish.
This softening somewhat mimics the mellowing that occurs during the aging process of certain liquors, meaning that midrange drops may, with just the addition of a little rice, taste more premium. It is similar to how a hazy, high-gravity beer might drink more smoothly than a crystal-clear version.
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