LA's Top Bars Celebrate Japanese Shochu with a Month-Long Program

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JFOODO

Jan 12, 2026, 10:00 ET

Full Bar Lineup and One-Night-Only Guest Shifts by Leading Mixologists Unveiled

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- JFOODO (the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center) brings "Japanese Shochu Month" in Los Angeles, in collaboration with seven of the city's most renowned bars. This winter, the Los Angeles cocktail scene will get a distinctly Japanese twist under the campaign theme "Spark Your Senses—Awaken your palate to the aroma and flavor of Japan." From January 14 through February 13, 2026, Baby Gee, Death & Co LA, No Smoking Bar, Redbird, The Wolves, Thunderbolt, and Tokyo Noir—will join JFOODO to host "Japanese Shochu Month," a dedicated month-long series celebrating the depth and versatility of Japan's traditional distilled spirit, Shochu.

During Japanese Shochu Month, each participating bar will offer two distinct Shochu cocktails.

1) Signature Cocktail: Shochu Highball—A Shochu Highball is one of the best ways to savor the rich aroma and flavor of Shochu. It's refreshing, with a clear aftertaste that retains the full flavor of the base spirit, and pairs well with many different fruits and other ingredients.

2) Original Shochu Cocktail: Each bar will also present an original cocktail crafted to highlight the unique possibilities of Shochu, offering creative interpretations on this versatile spirit.

'Japanese Shochu Guest Shift': Pop-up Bartender Exchanges

In addition to the in-bar offerings, the event will feature a rotating pop-up series, "Japanese Shochu Guest Shift." During this series, bartenders from the seven core bars will each take over another top-tier bar in Los Angeles for a one-night-only event, showcasing their Shochu cocktails along with their distinctive styling to a wider audience.

The guest-shift pop-up bars include Bar Next Door, Firstborn, Florentín Rooftop Bar, Lowboy, Night on Earth, Old Man Bar, and Spring St Bar.

'Japanese Shochu Guest Shift' Schedule

January 19th, Mon The Wolves guest shift at Bar Next Door
January 20th, Tue Thunderbolt guest shift at Firstborn
January 22nd, Thu Redbird guest shift at Spring St Bar
January 27th, Tue Tokyo Noir guest shift at Florentín Rooftop Bar
February 9th, Mon Death & Co LA guest shift at Night on Earth
February 10th, Tue No Smoking Bar guest shift at Lowboy
February 11th, Wed Baby Gee guest shift at Old Man Bar

About Shochu

Shochu is a pure, clean, and expressive spirit that makes use of a variety of traditional ingredients from Japan's long history to create an appealing range of aromas and tastes. Shochu is typically made from sweet potatoes, barley, rice, brown sugar, or buckwheat and though each type of Shochu has a distinct flavor depending on its base ingredient with an average ABV of around 25%. Shochu can be difficult to categorize compared to other spirits due to the wide range between all the different varieties, but the more understanding about the properties of each base ingredient, the greater the potential for enjoyment.

Recent reports from leading beverage industry publications highlight Shochu as one of the fastest-rising Japanese spirits in global markets, driven by growing consumer interest in low-ABV cocktails, health-conscious drinking trends, and the expanding influence of Asian culinary culture in cities like Los Angeles. Industry analyses note that Shochu's versatility, wide flavor range, and compatibility with modern mixology are contributing to increased adoption among top bartenders in the U.S.

Why Shochu — and Why Now

Shochu has long been a foundation of Japan's drinking culture, often outselling sake and whiskey domestically. While interest in Shochu has been growing as more American travelers visit Japan and encounter it firsthand, many cocktail enthusiasts remain unfamiliar with the vast diversity and expressive potential of this distilled spirit. Japanese Shochu Month aims to change that by offering Angelenos a rare opportunity to taste premium, authentic Shochu prepared by top-level bartenders in order to expand their palates, and to appreciate Shochu's subtlety, aroma, and versatility.

For more information, visit https://japan-food.jetro.go.jp/shochu/ or https://www.instagram.com/shochu_japan/.

About JFOODO

JFOODO (The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center) was established by the Japanese government in 2017 with the aim of boosting the export of Japanese agricultural, forestry, fishery and food products by branding them and promoting them widely around the world.

Through this campaign, JFOODO aims to expand awareness and consumption of authentic Japanese Shochu and Awamori among U.S. consumers by showcasing their diversity, craftsmanship, and versatility in contemporary cocktail culture.

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