Here I cover the history and production techniques of sake and shochu at a 101 (basic) level, and then Kenta Goto of the acclaimed New York bars Bar Goto & Bar Goto Niban unveils a whole new template for creating cocktails using sake or shochu as the base, as opposed to whisky or gin. This started life as a talk we both gave on Instagram during COVID, then evolved into a standing-room-only seminar at Bar Convent Berlin in 2022, so we thought we'd put it out on YT for anyone who wasn't able to make it last year. I've known Kenta for over 16 years now, right back to when he bartended at NY's much-missed Pegu Club, and he's one of the best operators around, both when it comes to cocktails and to running bars. His new template for cocktails with shochu and sake is ground-breaking.
Follow me on Twitter @philipduff , Instagram @philipsduff , and on LinkedIn as plain old Philip Duff.
Kenta is on Instagram as @kenta_san , and his EXCELLENT bars are @bargoto_nyc in Manhattan and @bargoto_niban in Brooklyn - make sure to have the chicken wings if you go!
