USA Shochu Cocktail Competition names winner
Jacob Ruley of the Tavern Law in Seattle bagged first place in the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association’s cocktail competition.
The final was held at Rob Roy in Seattle and saw seven finalists from across the US go head-to-head to showcase Japan’s national spirit as a foundation for modern classic cocktails.
Ruley won first place with his cocktail, Imo Boy, a riff on an Old Fashioned with imo (sweet potato) shochu as its base. The serve was sweetened with Kagoshima cane sugar and elevated with a blackened mandarin tincture and Angostura bitters.
Ruley chose Satsuma Kuradashi Genshu shochu for its ‘earthy, umami-driven profile’. The expression has an ABV of 37%.
He was followed by Brandon Lutz of Bar Kumiko in Chicago, with his cocktail Mottai-ni, in second place. Nicola Tolosa of Double Fun in Chicago took third place with her creation, Whispers of Kyushu.
The judging panel comprised: Anu Apte, founder of Rob Roy; Julia Momose, owner and creative director of Bar Kumiko in Chicago; and Kenta Goto, owner of Bar Goto and Bar Goto Niban in New York.
Judges evaluated each finalist on technique, balance, hospitality and the use of its primary spirit.
“It was exciting to host the seven national competitors for the JSS Shochu Cocktail Competition at my bar, Rob Roy, in Seattle,” said Apte. “The competitors all brought incredible technique, talent, and hospitality to the stage – it made judging really tough. Let’s do it again!”
The competition asked bartenders to create the ‘next modern classic’ using shochu. The theme for this year’s edition was Modern Shochu Classics, which asked contestants to reinterpret one of six classic cocktails – Martini, Margarita, Spritz, Old Fashioned, Negroni, or Highball.
“Judging the JSS competition this year, I was struck by how much the contestants have grown in their understanding of shochu – its terroir, finesse, and complexity,” added Momose. “What excites me most is that we’re seeing the rise of something new: shochu cocktails as a category all their own, and a foundation for the future of modern classic drinks.”
The competition encouraged bartenders to draw inspiration from Kyushu and Okinawa, the historic heartlands of shochu and awamori production. Expressions used included sweet potato, barley, rice, brown sugar, sesame shochu, or awamori, highlighting the category’s regional diversity and depth.
“In this year’s competition, it was exciting to witness contestants utilising shochu well as the main ingredient in cocktails,” added Goto. “Congratulations to all the finalists. I look forward to seeing them continue to expand their knowledge and create more delicious shochu cocktails.”
The grand prize for the competition was a week-long trip to Japan, with firsthand exposure to distilleries, producers, and the cultural context that shapes the nation’s spirits.
In the UK, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association teamed up with the UK Bartenders’ Guild to host the Great Honkaku Shochu and Awamori Contest.
Related news
Welsh Budget ‘disastrous’ for on-trade
