Japanese Cocktail Culture Flourishes at Innovative Tokyo Bars
Conquering the International Bar Scene
Born in Tokyo and raised in nearby Kawasaki City, an ambitious Gokan moved to New York City in 2006 at age 23 with five years of bartending experience and the dream of "being number one." He was propelled to fame by winning the 2012 Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition with his original cocktail "Speak Low," which combined rum, sherry, yuzu zest, and matcha.
In 2014, Gokan opened his first bar in Shanghai, named Speak Low after his award-winning creation. From 2018 onward, he established bars in Tokyo as well, most in the popular Shibuya area.
"I get most excited when an idea comes together perfectly, whether a cocktail, bar, or product," Gokan says. "When my vision becomes reality."
As to what makes a great bartender, in Gokan's view there is no single answer: from making exquisite classic cocktails to creating new ones, to inspired food pairings, leadership and management skills, mood-making as a guest bartender, and giving seminars. "Someone with any of these qualities could be called a great bartender," Gokan says. "That is what makes the current bar scene interesting."
SG Group operates six establishments in Tokyo, most located in Shibuya. The SG Club is actually three bars—Sip, Guzzle, and Savor—that share a three-floor establishment. The cocktail izakaya SG Low offers a more casual night out, and the coffee and cocktail bar æ (ash) [zero-waste cafe & bar] aims to be zero-waste. The SG Tavern, opened in 2024 and where we spoke with Gokan, is SG Group's major step outside Shibuya into Tokyo's Marunouchi neighborhood.
Although the concept for each establishment differs, Gokan is firm that, once decided, the theme must permeate the entire space.
"Once we have a concept, it determines the shop name, logo, cocktail menu, interior, uniforms—everything," he explains.
Although some SG establishments offer more food options than others, therefore affecting guests' budgets, one can expect to spend roughly 7,000 or 8,000 yen per person on a night out. Savor is members-only and may require an invitation from The SG Club staff, but guests should not hesitate to visit any of Gokan's other establishments.
His bars are popular with both Japanese and international guests. In particular, Gokan notes, "I opened my first bar in Shanghai, so there are many Chinese fans of my work who visit my bars." The newly opened The SG Tavern has been popular with locals working in the Marunouchi area, he adds.
Opening the Treasure Trove of Japanese Culinary Culture and History
The SG Tavern, located in Tokyo's historic Marunouchi business district, was a fitting location to hear Gokan explain how his establishments draw on Japanese culinary culture and history.
Like his award-winning cocktail "Speak Low," many of Gokan's creations use Japanese ingredients, from international favorites like matcha and yuzu to those less familiar outside Japan, such as doburoku, a rare type of cloudy sake; awamori, a traditional Okinawan spirit; Kokuto, Okinawan black sugar; and naito togarashi, chili peppers grown in Tokyo with roots tracing back to the Edo period. Thanks to its extensive history—"the longest in the world," according to Gokan—Japan is a treasure trove of ingredients and rich culinary culture.
"I am Japanese, born and raised, so there is no avoiding Japanese ingredients. They are what I know best," Gokan says, adding that "there are still many ingredients that my team and I have yet to explore."
Many of Gokan's cocktails use shochu, a Japanese distilled spirit made from sweet potato, barley, rice, or other ingredients. Gokan has his own shochu line, The SG Shochu, which is manufactured in Japan's westernmost main island, Kyushu.
When asked to pick representative cocktails for first-time guests to try, Gokan highlighted two drinks. One is his piña colada, made with rare doburoku and therefore only possible to produce in Japan. Another is The SG Tavern's Satsuma highball, made with The SG Shochu.
Gokan says he hopes The SG Tavern will become an "iconic bar" abutting Tokyo Station, itself a prominent piece of Meiji Era architecture.
"It's not often that you get the chance to have an establishment so close to the 'entrance to Tokyo,' here in Marunouchi," he says.
Gokan Shingo
The SG Club
https://sg-management.jp/en/Photos by Fujishima Ryo