US Shochu Cocktail Competition 2026
Raise the Bar. Win the Journey of a Lifetime.
Craft the ultimate shochu cocktail and compete for a chance to explore Japan’s rich heritage and its oldest distilled spirit firsthand.
Presented By
5th Annual SHOCHU COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2026
The 2026 Shochu Cocktail Competition challenges bartenders to create the next modern classic using Japan’s native spirit. This year’s theme, Modern Shochu Classics, invites contestants to reimagine one of six iconic cocktails — the Martini, Margarita, Spritz, Old Fashioned, Negroni, or Highball — through the lens of shochu.
The competition celebrates the bridge between Japan’s centuries-old distilling traditions and today’s world-class bartending culture. Submit your best shochu cocktail inspired by Kyushu or Okinawa, Japan — using your favorite style of sweet potato, barley, rice, brown sugar, sesame, or awamori — for a chance to win a week-long immersive trip to Kyushu, the home of shochu.
Check out last year’s Shochu Cocktail Competition here.
Official Rules
Key Dates for 2026 competiton
Application Period: November 10, 2025 - December 17, 2025
Shochu Seminars
(In-person)November 10, 2025 1:00pm-3:00pm William Weston Location- Half Step, TX
(Virtual) November 17, 2025 1:00pm-2:00pm Kenta Goto, Bar Goto NY - Google Meet
(Virtual) November 23, 2025 9:00pm-10:00pm Yas Kawakubo, Punch Room, Edition Hotel, Tokyo Japan - Google Meet
(In-person)November 24, 2025 1:00pm-3:00pm Mark Mendez Location- Monarque, MD
(In-person)November 26, 2025 1:00pm-3:00pm Julia Momose Location- Bar Kumiko, IL
(Viewing or Live Event mandatory)
Judging Period: December 18, 2025 - January 10, 2026
Semi-Finals
Best 30 Finalists Announced December 29, 2025
Best 15 Finalists Announced January 5, 2026
Finalists Announcement: January 12, 2026
Grand Finale Competition: January 26, 2026 in Rob Roy, Seattle, Washington
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: “Modern Shochu Classics”
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.
Click the image and follow this page to access tutorials and content from our judges to help you understand shochu and create an amazing cocktail for this year's competition.
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