Shochu Live 2026

July 27, 2026Kayoko Akabori

Shochu Live this year was beyond successful and our hearts are full. We told all y'all that this year, the event would be better and bolder, but we could not have predicted what a truly magnificent event it turned out to be.

As America's first and only shochu festival, we had:
100+ guests
40+ shochus to taste
7 shochu importers and brands
5 shochu makers from Japan
2 shochu seminars
Plus a dj, food, and many furry friends!

Here at Umami Mart, we are committed to bring shochu to the forefront in the U.S. as a leading world spirit. Distilled only once, shochu is an unique, low-proof spirit that can be made with anything from sweet potato and barley, to rice and cane sugar. It is rich in history and flavor, and we want more people to try it! Which is what Shochu Live is all about – trying different shochus in varying ways to bring out maximum enjoyment.

We're lucky to be a part of a thriving community of shochu lovers both in the U.S. and Japan. Nearly all the importers and makers who participated in Shochu Live traveled by plane to get to Oakland – from as close as Los Angeles and New York, to as far as Miyazaki and Okinawa. This meant a lot to me as shochu director of Umami Mart, a small shop with a mission to bring awareness to Japanese drinks and drink culture.

Shochu is still a relatively unknown spirit here in the states, but we truly felt the love on June 20 here in Oakland! It was a gorgeous day and everyone was ready to party.

This photo taken by Mariko Noguchi makes it look like it was all a hazy dream...

Shochu Live 2026 Roll Call!

Shinsaku Kuroki of Osuzuyama Distillery and Kuroki Honten in Miyazaki, Japan

Tadashi Yanagita (right) of Yanagita Distillery in Miyazaki, Japan, and Sachiko Miyagi of Skurnik Wines

Motoi Naka (right) of Higa Shuzo in Okinawa, Japan, and Akane Kinjo of Mutual Trading. Photo by Patrick Lu.

Jumpei Watanabe (center left), Taiki Yukawa (center right), both of Kirishima Shuzo in Miyazaki, and Daichi Kitoba (left) and Hidetaka Iwasaki (right) of Wismettac

Kazuhito Shimoozaki of Hamada Shuzo in Kagoshima, Japan

Christopher Pellegrini (left) of Honkaku Spirits from Japan and Victoria Vera of Tsunami Panhandle in San Francisco.

Paul Nakayama of Nankai Spirits, a line of kokuto and imo shochus

Brian Boothe of Sipt Global, a shochu importer

Bella Pearson (left) of Kome Collective, and Tamiko Ishidate of Regal Wine, both shochu importers

Michael Bigelow of Big World Traders, a shochu importer

Taeko Ichioka of Mizu Shochu from Saga, Japan

Casa de Kei

DJ Wiley Coyote aka Dave

There were over 40 shochus to taste at the festival, including many limited, seasonal bottles that the distillers hand-carried in their luggage from Japan!

Limited bottles brought by Kuroki-san and Yanagita san. Photo by Jamie Graves

Kirishima Shuzo debuted their Melt Barley Shochu at Shochu Live.

The shochu lineup:
Yamasemi (Rice)
Yamaneko (Sweet Potato)
NakaNaka (Barley)
Kiroku (Sweet Potato)
Kiroku Muroka (Sweet Potato)
Aokage 24 "Stallion" (Barley)
Aokage 41 "Thoroughbred Stallion" (Barley)
Yanagita Koma "Colt" (Barley)
Yanagita Mizunara Barrel Aged (Barley)
Zanpa White (Awamori)
Zanpa Black (Awamori)
Zanpa 35 (Awamori)
Zanpa 1999 (Awamori)
Daiyame (Sweet Potato)
Daiyame 40 (Sweet Potato)
Kakushi Gura (Barley)
Sekitoba Shochu (Sweet Potato)
Sekitoba Matcha Shochu (Sweet Potato + Matcha)
Kirishima 8 (Sweet Potato)
Kuro Kirishima 20% (Sweet Potato)
Kuro Kirishima Melt (Barley)
Mizu Sakura Cask (Barley)
Mizu Green Tea (Barley)
Mizu Barley (Barley)
Mizu Lemongrass (Barley)
Nankai (Kokuto Black Sugar)
Nankai Gold (Kokuto Black Sugar)
Nankai White Oak (Kokuto Black Sugar)
Nankai Imo (Sweet Potato)
Musha Gaeshi (Rice)
Goro (Sweet Potato)
Shoro Interlude Chestnut Barrel Aged Shochu (Sweet Potato)
Beni Sango (Kokuto Black Sugar)
Yokka Koji (Awamori)
Ranbiki 3 (Barley)
Ranbiki 5 (Barley)
Nakamura Nakamura
Tokujo Taimei
Asahi Kokuto
Rihei Ginger (Barley)
Purple + Pear (Sweet Potato)
8000 Generation (Rice)
Kura Shochu (Kasutori)
Wataribune (Rice)

The festivities started at 1pm and was busy for till 4pm! We had an amazing crowd of over 100 attendees and it could not be more buzzy.

Photo by Patrick Lu

Shochu Live isn't just about drinking and trying new shochus – education plays a huge role as well. This year we proudly hosted two seminars in our intimate bar space.

What is Shochu? by Christopher Pellegrini

In this Shochu 101 crash course, Christopher broke down the basics of shochu.

All About Maewari by Tadashi Yanagita

For his second year in a row, Yanagita-san presented at Shochu Live – this year, he spoke about maewari, a method where you let shochu rest with water for at least 24 hours. Yanagita-san encouraged us to "use time as an ingredient" to unlock flavors in the shochu by mellowing it out with water, and he suggested letting it rest for 10 days or longer.

Photo by Mariko Noguchi

Photo by Ben Clemons

We received some great testimonials by guests and participants about the event:

Taeko Ichioka, partner of Mizu Shochu

The second annual Shochu Live brought experienced shochu and awamori drinkers who had studied the roster and came with a specific agenda and those who were new to the category and were enjoying the new discovery. It really was a wonderfully diverse crowd. I can't not mention the returning Umami Mart regulars who are always a delight to kampai with.

As an avid consumer myself, I love discovering new shochu & awamori at Shochu Live; it's invigorating to see other distillers pioneering the next generation of shochu & awamori. Nowhere else in America can you have such an experience! Truly a special event.

Tadashi Yanagita, Owner + toji of Yanagita Distillery in Miyazaki

At Shochu Live 2026, we sensed an even greater level of interest in shochu compared to the previous year. Attendees included not only those already knowledgeable about shochu but also many first-time drinkers; the event provided a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding by directly explaining the products' backgrounds, ingredients, and serving methods.

We also believe that Umami Mart serves as a vital hub for promoting Japanese alcoholic beverages and culture, playing a key role in raising awareness of shochu. There is strong interest in products that offer high quality and compelling stories, highlighting the importance of creating ongoing opportunities for tasting.

Moving forward, it is essential to further strengthen our partnership with Umami Mart and maintain consistent sales activities.

Additionally, for consumers trying shochu for the first time, it is crucial to clearly communicate information regarding ingredients, flavor profiles, and serving suggestions. In particular, proposing ways to enjoy shochu such as mixing it with soda or pre-diluting it with water (*maewari*) offers the potential to tap into new demand.

Christopher Pellegrini, Shochu educator, author, and importer

The energy at this year’s event was exceptional. We were two or three groups deep at our table the entire afternoon, and the questions guests asked about shochu and awamori were indicative of how far Japan’s traditional spirits have come over the past few years—thanks in no small part to the hard work of Umami Mart’s passionate team.

Mariko Noguchi, Journalist

Photo by Patrick Lu

I joined all the way from Tokyo, and it was truly moving to witness a scene in the U.S. where shochu is so genuinely loved. Back in Japan, I had assumed that shochu abroad would mostly be enjoyed in cocktails. But what I actually saw was everyone drinking it the same way we do in Japan—mizuwari, soda-wari, oyu-wari, and neat—and I could really feel that shochu has crossed borders.

I think this scene only exists because of who Kayoko-san and Yoko-san at Umami Mart are—the way they authentically translate shochu, and Japan itself, for people here.

I can't wait to come back again next year!

Patrick Lu, Shochu enthusiast

Shochu represents the pride of Japan’s agricultural landscape, distilled. To be able to meet the current leading producers and learn about this many varieties of the spirit locally in the US is nothing short of amazing.”

Guests were able to to enjoy shochu is many different ways: on the rocks, neat, as a highball, or in a cocktail. Yanagita-san, shochu engineer, took his time making every drink with love, whether with soda or hot water.