Kenta Goto

Part 2: Unlike Japan, Bars Have
Immersed Themselves into Everyday Life in New York

Kenta Goto is a leading figure among Japanese bartenders working in the U.S. In this second part of our interview, he talks about the potential for Japanese spirits from his perspective working in New York, a city that defines global cocktail trends.

⇒Read Part 1: “Bartender Life in New York, One of the World’s Toughest Markets”

Text: Reiko Suga / Photography: Koichi Mitsui / Composition: Contentsbrain /
 English Translation: LIBER
Interview Location: Bar Goto Niban (474 Bergen St, Brooklyn, NY 11217, USA)

New York, the global cocktail trendsetter

What are some of the popular cocktails at Bar Goto and Bar Goto Niban?

Basically what we do is introduce Japanese flavors through classic cocktails. We really pay attention to find the balance that is just right when we create a recipe.

The cocktail menus at my bars have three sections. First is long drinks with carbonated mixers. The second is stiff drinks stirred with more alcohol content. The third is light, refreshing drinks prepared in a shaker. We serve a lot of shaken cocktails, but we do have customers that prefer stirred ones.

Lately, we’ve had more health-conscious patrons ordering low-alcohol drinks, so we also serve a lot of long drinks. We didn’t have non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu when we opened, but some people want to enjoy the atmosphere of a bar without drinking alcohol, so now we do.

What global standing do New York’s bars have?

Cities around the world have excellent bars, but I think the level in New York is definitely high. New York City has many great cocktail bars.

For New Yorkers, a bar can be an oasis where you drop in on the way home from work to talk with friends. Some people relax by chatting with the bartender, while some come to learn about alcoholic drinks. In Japan, the pubs we call izakaya are more entrenched in everyday life, but New Yorkers often say, “I’ll meet you at the bar.” They’re just such a part of everyday life here. In fact, many people go to bars by themselves to socialize.

Bar Goto Niban’s head bartender, Koharu Usui (right), holds a stirrer behind the bar. She's a leader Mr. Goto relies on to keep the establishment running smoothly.

The key to spreading shochu’s recognition is properly showcasing its strengths

How much recognition does shochu have in the U.S.?

I can tell it’s much higher than it used to be, but it still has a long way to go compared to sake. Although we call it a “Japanese spirit,” the shochu consumed in Japan typically is usually 25% ABV. The global standard for spirits is usually 40% or higher, so in America, shochu has a challenge to find its place.

The KOJI-SAN, a standard cocktail mixed with iichiko Saiten. (The iichiko Saiten bottle was photographed in 2023. It received an updated design in 2025)

What do you think shochu's appeal is? For example, what do you think about the use of koji?

I don’t think many people drink shochu specifically because it's made with koji. Most of them drink it because it's from Japan, and also because it’s delicious. Many patrons who take an interest in shochu out of admiration or fondness toward Japan will seek out brands that suit them after learning about the ingredients it’s made from, like barley, rice, and potatoes.

Using koji produces a distinctive flavor, so customers who start drinking shochu usually come to like that taste. I’ve had more opportunities recently to mix cocktails with shochu. That makes it easier for people who haven’t tried it before and I think it’s creating more interest in shochu.

I also think us bartenders, the ones preparing the cocktails, need to pay attention. Many classic or standard cocktail recipes call for a spirit that’s at least 40% ABV as the main ingredient.

For example, a gimlet where gin is the base uses gin that’s 40% or higher, and you add lime juice and then syrup to balance out the lime juice’s sourness. If you follow the volumes in a classic gin gimlet recipe exactly while simply swapping out gin for lower ABV shochu to make a shochu gimlet, what happens? You can’t tell if it contains any alcohol. It’s a gimlet with an unsatisfactory flavor, more like lemonade.

More customers are enjoying shochu and awamori on the rocks or straight up

If you’re going to use 25% ABV shochu as your main ingredient, you have to find the golden ratio to balance it with the sourness in the lime juice and the sweetness in the syrup. Or another approach is to add a small quantity of spirit of around 40% ABV as your secret ingredient to boost the lower ABV shochu. Continuing with the gin gimlet example, when you incorporate shochu into the cocktail, you have to think about when to add it to the mix.

I think a good process is to shake up the gin, lime juice, and syrup, then add the shochu. This will prevent the 25% ABV shochu from diluting in the shaker. This technique will also make the low-alcohol shochu more apparent to the customer.

Could high-alcohol shochu open up new markets?

We now have shochus around 40% ABV like iichiko Saiten that contain more alcohol. What do you think of products like this?

When mixing a cocktail, I think a lot of shochu can pose a challenge because of its low 25% alcohol content. That’s why, like I mentioned, the bartender has to adjust the recipe to find the golden ratio for the cocktail.

I think that if we have more higher ABV shochu like iichiko Saiten, that will help people who are used to spirits with 40% ABV or higher learn about shochu. But is that enough? Japan’s 25% ABV shochu tastes good, too. The low alcohol content is what makes it easy to pair with a meal. That’s part of Japanese culture.

That’s why I want to show Americans what’s great about both 40% ABV shochu like iichiko Saiten, as well as 25% ABV shochu such as iichiko Silhouette.

⇒Read Part 1: "Bartender Life in New York, One of the World’s Toughest Markets"