Shochu Cocktails Head for the World Stage as Seven Japan Finalists Named
Seven finalists have been chosen for Japan's shochu cocktail competition, run by Oita-based Sanwa Shurui, with the top placings going through to the 2027 world final.
Shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit, has long been a staple of Japan’s everyday izakaya. Now it is winning fresh recognition in cocktail bars around the world. Sanwa Shurui, a distiller based in Usa, Oita Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu, has announced the seven finalists for the Japan round of its shochu-based cocktail contest, the “iichiko Saiten IRODORI Cocktail Competition 2026”. The final takes place on 6 November 2026, and the top finishers will go on to the Global Final scheduled for 2027.
Expressing “Koji × Culture” in a Cocktail
The only base spirit permitted in the competition is Sanwa Shurui’s honkaku barley shochu, iichiko Saiten. Honkaku shochu is made by saccharifying and fermenting grains and other ingredients with koji, then distilling them once in a pot-style still, so that the flavour of the raw materials comes through well. Koji is a type of mould grown on steamed grain, and it is essential to sake, miso and soy sauce as well. This year’s theme is “KOJI×CULTURES”. With koji, born in Japan, as the starting point, entrants are asked how they will combine cultures from around the world and across Japan into the story and flavour of a single cocktail.
Seven Finalists from Across the Country and an International Judging Panel
The seven who came through two qualifying rounds work in bars and cafes across Japan, in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Ishikawa, Miyagi and Nagasaki. Many of the cocktail names, such as “Stay KOJI”, “Umami Synergy” and “Color of Zipangu”, clearly nod to koji and umami. There are four judges: Hiroyasu Kayama of Bar BenFiddich in Tokyo; Manabu Otake of the Royal Bar at Palace Hotel Tokyo; Shingo Gokan of SG Group, which also has venues in New York and London; and Shinobu Ishigaki of BAR Ishi no Hana in Shibuya. All are internationally active bartenders.
From Izakaya Staple to “Wa Spirit”
According to Sanwa Shurui, in 2026 shochu entered the top 10 for the first time in a ranking of major spirits based on the world’s top bars. iichiko Saiten was developed jointly with leading American bartenders and launched first, in 2019, in the United States, the world’s largest bar market. It went on sale in Japan in June 2025. It is made using “zen-koji shikomi”, in which all of the barley is turned into koji, drawing out the umami that comes from the koji.
In Europe, too, shochu is slowly appearing more often on cocktail lists. A simple drink made with it in place of gin or vodka is a good way in to its flavour. Barley shochu, mixed with soda or in a citrus cocktail, shows off its toasty aroma and soft umami particularly clearly. When choosing a bottle, we recommend checking the label for “honkaku shochu” and for the ingredient (barley, sweet potato, rice and so on). It will also be interesting to see which drinks are rewarded at the 2027 Global Final.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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