iichiko Saiten, a barley shochu made for cocktails, scores 99 points at the US SFWSC

Iichiko Saiten, a honkaku barley shochu from Oita-based Sanwa Shurui, has won a Double Gold medal and 99 points at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) in the United States. It is the fourth year in a row that the spirit has taken the top medal. According to Sanwa Shurui, it also scored 98 points at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in the United Kingdom, the highest score in the shochu category. A shochu made as a base for cocktails has therefore been rated highly at leading competitions in both the US and the UK.

A 99-point score with every judge awarding gold

The SFWSC began in 2000 and is held every year in San Francisco. It is regarded as one of the most influential spirits competitions in the world. This year, its 26th edition, drew more than 5,000 entries from around the globe. The judges are professionals working in bars, restaurants and hotels, journalists from spirits magazines, and distribution buyers. A Double Gold is given only to products that every judge rates as gold, and Saiten has received it four years running.

A koji spirit made with bartenders

Shochu is a traditional Japanese distilled spirit. Honkaku shochu in particular is distilled only once in a pot still, so the flavour of the raw ingredients stays strong. Like sake, it is made with koji (steamed grain on which a type of mould has been grown). Saiten uses only barley koji, aiming to draw out as much of the umami that koji produces as possible. Its alcohol content is 43%, higher than ordinary shochu (around 25%), and strong enough to be used in cocktails in the way gin or vodka is.

The aim of its development was to break down the barrier between Japanese and Western spirits and widen the possibilities of shochu. It was developed jointly with top San Francisco bartenders and launched first in the US in 2019. It has been sold in Japan only since 2025. The producer describes it as having a full aroma and a long finish.

How to enjoy it in Europe

If you come across it in Europe, start with a small amount neat or on the rocks, sipping slowly to pick up the aromas of grain and koji. Then try replacing the base spirit in a cocktail you would usually make with gin or vodka, such as a Martini or a Negroni; the umami of the koji may add a difference in taste worth enjoying. Specialist shops that stock imported spirits and cocktail bars are a good place to start, and you could ask whether they have a “shochu cocktail”. Born in the US and also recognised in the UK, this barley shochu suggests that shochu can be enjoyed not only with food but also as a bar spirit.