US Shochu Cocktail Competition 2025

Presented By

4th Annual SHOCHU COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2025

This competition is about the bridge between our spirits culture and world-class bartenders. Submit your best shochu cocktail inspired by Kyushu or Okinawa, Japan, the ‘home’ of shochu. Use your favorite shochu: Potato, Brown sugar, Rice, Barley, Sesame, or Awamori, for a chance to win a week-long immersive shochu trip in Kyushu Island, Japan. This year’s cocktail theme will be Japanese Art - create a cocktail inspired by Japanese art produced in Japan by a Japanese artist.

Check out last year’s Shochu Cocktail Competition here.

Official Rules

Key Dates for 2025

• Application Period: January 8, 2025 - February 11, 2025

• Shochu Virtual Seminars January 7, 2025, 11:00 am EST & January 13, 2025, 2:00 pm EST (viewing mandatory)

• Judging Period: February 12, 2025 - February 16, 2025

• Semi-Finals

  • Best 30 Finalists Announced February 17, 2025 – February 19, 2025

  • Best 15 Finalists Announced February 25, 2025 - February 27, 2025

• Finalists Announcement: March 3, 2025

• Grand Finale Competition: March 10, 2025 in New York

• Application open to all legal residents of the contiguous 48 US States (and Washington, DC) ages 21+

Judging Criteria

• Creativity and interpretation of the theme: “Japanese Art” - must be art produced in Japan by a Japanese artist.

• Knowledge and understanding of shochu

• Balance in a cocktail ((not only flavor but also proof)

• Name, presentation, and style of the cocktail in the time limit.

Ingredients

Your original cocktail must use 2 oz of shochu and up to 7 ingredients (including the garnish). Up to two of those ingredients can be custom made syrups, infusions, etc but you will be judged on how consistently and easily they can be produced at volume as a drink on the menu at your bar.

Meet the Judges + MC

*Subject to availability. Listed judges to participate only in later rounds of judging.