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AWARD WINNERS

AWARD : SAKE

A New Measure Beside Technical Mastery

For many years, sake competitions have placed great weight on precision in brewing and the quality of the finished sake: how carefully the rice is polished and how clearly and elegantly the sake is made. The Junmai Daiginjo category represents this emphasis on technical skill. At SAKE COMPETITION 2026, another category stood alongside it with a different measure. Modern Natural evaluates not only the finished sake, but also the philosophy behind its production.

AWARD : SAKE

SHICHIKEN Selection Alain Ducasse Sparkling-sake

AWARD : SHOCHU

In an Age of “Clean and Crisp,” Deliberately Unfiltered

Toyonaga Shuzo’s “Mugishiru” from Kuma Wins Double Awards in France and Japan The contemporary landscape of barley shochu is largely defined by a pursuit of the “clean and crisp.” A light, approachable profile where complexities are filtered away has come to be seen as the modern ideal.Yet, there exists a barley shochu that consciously navigates […]

AWARD : GIN

The Logic of Subtraction

The Defiant Philosophy Behind NISEKO ohoro GIN Hakkaisan Brewery, the revered Niigata sake producer, has spent more than a century mastering the nuances of rice fermentation since its founding in 1922. Yet, when the historic house turned its gaze toward the pristine wilderness of Niseko, Hokkaido, to craft a gin, it made a singular, counterintuitive […]

AWARD JAPANESE LIQUEUR

A Pale Pink Umeshu Chosen by French Judges

“ICHI” from Wakayama Plum Grower Umeyoshi and Kura Master In 2026, Kura Master, the acclaimed competition for Japanese sake, shochu, and liqueurs, convened in France. In its fiercely contested umeshu category, a single bottle captured the prestigious Judges’ Award: “ICHI,” crafted by Kishu Honjo Umeyoshi Co., Ltd., a revered plum grower in Minabe, Wakayama Prefecture. […]

AWARD : SHOCHU

Spring Water from the Kirishima Mountains and a Century of Earthenware Pots

Akarui Nōson” by Kirishima Town Distillery The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) is one of the world’s largest and most respected spirits competitions, where dozens of professional judges conduct blind tastings and score entries each year. In 2018, the Double Gold—awarded only by unanimous gold ratings from the panel—was granted to “Akarui Nōson,” a […]

AWARD : SHOCHU

Barley Unearthed from Kuma’s Soil

Toyonaga Shuzo’s Mugishiru and Its Four-Time Kura Master Gold Legacy Most modern barley shochu aims for one thing: refinement. Cleaner aromatics, lighter texture, polished smoothness. But one bottle stands in direct opposition to that philosophy. From Toyonaga Shuzo in Yunomae, Kumamoto, comes Mugishiru, a barley shochu built not on subtraction, but on depth, weight, and the […]

AWARD : SAKE

In the Heart of Kyoto Stands a 300-Year-Old Sake Brewery

With the slogan “Trust your own palate,” the Sake-1 Grand Prix ranks sake from breweries across Japan by votes from tasters. Held each year at Matsuo Taisha in Kyoto, it is a rare competition in the sake world where consumers’ impressions directly determine the results. At the 9th competition, held on April 19, 2026, one bottle selected for third place was Matsui Sake Brewery’s “Kagura” from Kyoto.

AWARD : SHOCHU

At TWSC 2026, Two SHOCHU REPUBLIC Labels Win Awards

At the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC) 2026, two labels from the export-only brand SHOCHU REPUBLIC earned awards in the shochu and awamori category. The sweet potato shochu Sweet Potato Robin received the Superior Gold Award, while the barley shochu Barley Bunny took home a Silver Award.

AWARD : GIN

A Gin Named “To Continue”

From Niseko to the Pinnacle of the World’s Classic Gin Category In 2024, a Japanese gin achieved the highest honors simultaneously at the world’s three major spirits competitions. It was named World’s Best in the Classic Gin category at the World Gin Awards, received the Trophy—an award given to only a single label—at the International […]

AWARD : GIN

May you be blessed with ten millionfold good fortune

The Five Masterful Techniques Hakkaisan Brewery Infuses into its Premium Rice Shochu In Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture—one of Japan’s heaviest snowfall regions—stands the sacred peak of Mount Hakkai (1,778m). Long revered as a spiritual training ground for Shugendo ascetics, the mountain lends its name to the illustrious Hakkaisan Brewery. Founded in 1922 (Taisho 11), the […]

AWARD : OTHER

SUGAWARA SUIKYO Port Wine Finish

SUGAWARA SUIKYO Port Wine Finish is a rich, woody aroma where the opulent, fatty character reminiscent of mature cognac-cask influence melds with sweet, estery notes. Enjoy Kouji whisky at Bacchus Global in Thailand. 菅原水鏡ポートワインカスクフィニッシュ（40度）は、ポート樽由来の赤ワインやブドウ、レーズンを思わせる甘やかな香りに、オークのウッディさとスパイスが重なるリッチな印象。タイの愛好家に向けた豊かな風味をバッカスグローバルでお楽しみください。