From March 9th to March 12th, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association exhibited sampling booths at FOODEX JAPAN 2021, the International Food and Beverage Exhibition held at Makuhari Messe to share the appeal and to raise awareness and understanding of honkaku shochu (authentic shochu) and awamori, Japan’s national alcoholic liquors, by their main ingredients. Although it was difficult for the press and buyers from overseas to come to Japan due to the event being held during the coronavirus pandemic, Shingo Gokan and Joshin Atone, two of the top mixologists on the global stage, shared the appeal of honkaku shochu and awamori.
Report on Honkaku Shochu and Awamori at FOODEX JAPAN 2021 by Shingo Gokan and Joshin Atone
• World Famous Bartender Shingo Gokan S...
Regarding the appeal of honkaku shochu and awamori, Gokan commented the following: “There are different types of honkaku shochu made using various ingredients. Since you can sense the unique aroma of each ingredient, by all means, please come to Japan to enjoy honkaku shochu, the national liquor of Japan together with us!”
Sharing his thoughts on the applications of honkaku shochu and awamori in cocktails and how those from overseas can familiarize themselves with both, Atone commented the following: “Because honkaku shochu is distilled once, it can be used to create a wide range of flavors and aromas from the ingredients. When making cocktails, the flavors of the ingredients can be matched to create a sense of unity, so it can be used in a wider range of cocktails.”
At the exhibition booth, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association displayed honkaku shochu and awamori separated by their main ingredients and offered samples from a collection of 200 brands of authentic shochu and awamori from across Japan. At the seminar booth, a mini-seminar was held, and Daisuke Sato (Hotel Metropolitan), the winner of the 3rd Honkaku Shochu and Awamori Cocktail Competition, treated guests toAuthority: A Bridge of Passion, the cocktail that won the competition.
FOODEX JAPAN 2021 Exhibited Brands
www.honkakushochu-awamori.jp/english/foodex2021/#t…
FOODEX JAPAN is the largest food and beverage exhibition in Asia, and 1,313 companies from around the world exhibited 1,459 booths for the 46th exhibition.
＜Profile of Shingo Gokan＞
Since coming to the United States in 2006, Gokan has opened up a new world of cocktails by combining the bold ideas he had cultivated through his long experience abroad with Japanese delicacies. He participated in the 2012 Bacardi Global Legacy Cocktail Competition as a representative of the United States and won after a dramatic final judgment. In 2017, he was awarded the Tales of the Cocktail International Bartender of the Year, considered to be the Academy Award equivalent of the bar industry. In 2019, he was awarded the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender award, the highest award for an individual in Asia’s 50 Best Bars award, and he was named in the Bar World 100, a list of the 100 most influential people in the bar industry.
＜Profile of Joshin Atone＞
Atone was born in California in 1992 and moved to New York after graduating from high school. He started bartending in a restaurant in 2014 and stated working at Angel’s Share since 2015. He then founded Shanghai Sober Company. He has worked at The SG Club Tokyo since 2018 and has been the creative direction for The SG Shochu since 2020.
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