Shochu Worldwide: How Japan’s Favorite Spirit Is Sweeping the American Mixology Scene Months After a Landmark Legal Win

(Photo: Andrey Nik)

On a breezy Monday afternoon in Brooklyn, 15 of the country’s best shochu bartenders arrived at Bar Goto Niban hoping to impress a who’s who of the industry’s biggest names. Five judges sat atop a row of barstools, sipping cocktails intently, asking questions and scribbling notes. Competitors approached the bar one by one to mix their signature drinks; ingredients like chestnuts, dates and gummy candies wafted through the air. Cameras swiveled around the periphery. Apart from a brief explainer and the rattling of ice cubes, complete silence.

The competition — organized by the Japan Sake & Shochu Maker’s Association — signifies a major step forward for a criminally underrated spirit. Underrated within the US, at least; shochu is the most consumed liquor in Japan, regularly beating out whiskey, rum and gin year after year.

The key ingredient in shochu is koji, a salty umami-forward rice fungus often described as the “national mold” of Japan (koji can also be found in sake — similar in attitude to shochu, but not distilled). Beyond that, shochu can technically be made with just about anything, though common base ingredients include sweet potato, barely, buckwheat and rice.

3rd place — Alice Brandt. “Bogwitch” Cocktail: Selephant Honkaku Shochu, Marshmallow root tea, burnt honey syrup, wafer cookie. (Photo: Andrey Nik)

On paper, the spirit sounds like it’d be a hit with American drinkers, perhaps the self-declared adventurous sort who recently discovered mezcal or sake on a trip abroad. There are, however, legal reasons why consumers haven’t heard of shochu sooner.

In many states, shochu is incorrectly classified as soju, an entirely different spirit from Korea. The mix-up hinders where shochu can legally be served while also confusing consumers unaware of the cultural distinction. California recently pushed back on the misconception, categorizing shochu as a unique product while opening the floodgates for liquor license holders. New York passed a similar law only a year earlier.

“Shochu is highly regarded by the Japanese people as an important cultural product with a history of over 500 years,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi in December 2023.

“This new law recognizes the unique cultural heritage of both Japanese shochu and Korean soju. Labeling and selling shochu as soju is like selling tequila as scotch or bourbon. By officially recognizing Japanese shochu, California can lead the United States in promoting this important cultural heritage.”

Despite rising awareness, the category still has a long way to go. According to some estimates, only 1% of shochu is consumed outside of Japan. Inventive bartenders are hoping to tip the scales.

2nd place — William Vonada. “Miyamoto’s Reprise” Cocktail: Sweet Potato Shochu, Tangerine syrup, Cassia bark bitters, Genmaicha tea bag, saline solution. (Photo: Andrey Nik)

So what might we expect from a shochu cocktail, you ask?

In the world of mixology, spirits are often canonized through a particular recipe. Whiskey has the old-fashioned, tequila the margarita, rum the piña colada and so on and so on. Shochu has no definitive cocktail, at least not yet. Surrounded by the spirit’s biggest advocates, you could tell that this lack of constraint elevated the cocktail concepts on display to wildly imaginative heights.

One bartender stirred up a “Life on Earth” made with celery syrup, cold brewed kukicha tea and an extravagantly aromatic tincture. He loudly slapped a dill frond between his hands before garnishing it atop his vegetal creation.

A different bartender combined Armagnac, sweet potato shochu and chai tea with molded miso butter hearts that melted instantly inside the ceramic cup. A third based their recipe’s inspiration around castella cake, a Japanese dessert they’d first discovered in Studio Ghibli’s “The Wind Rises.”

1st place – Tomo Johnson. “Nanban” Cocktail: Chingu Black Iki Shochu, Capitan Aged Barley Shochu, Henriques & Henriques Madeira Sercial, Hon-Mirin, Licor Beirao, Shio Koji. (Photo: Andrey Nik)

After six hours of sipping and savoring, judges awarded Tomo Johnson of Oakland’s Umami Mart the grand prize.

Tomo’s perfectly round cocktail paid homage to the legacy of Portuguese sailors who traveled to and from Nagasaki in the 1500s. Two varieties of shochu (black koji and aged barley) were mixed with fortified wine, Licor Beirão and mirin for an unexpected osmosis of influences. The drink was garnished with a dangling sprig of barley, like a diving board above a booze-filled pool.

“I view shochu from two different places,” Tomo told us after the competition.

“One is from my Japanese heritage… It was the first alcohol that I drank regularly after my first job in a soba restaurant. It has an image of being an old-timey drink, something that your grandpa drinks and something that you as the younger, less wise individual don’t mess with. Then there is me as a bartender. As a tool in drink crafting, shochu is one of the most exciting new movements in the bar world.”

“This is why for me, shochu is the trailblazer. It makes me excited for the future; to see all of these other obscure spirits come into the spotlight and help underappreciated parts of the world come to stand as equals on the global playing field.”

Cheers! (Photo: Andrey Nik)

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