Daiyame to host shochu masterclass in London

The team behind Hamada Syuzou Company will host a Daiyame shochu masterclass at London’s Kioku Bar next week, alongside a bar takeover.

The event will kick off at 6pm on Thursday 12 September at Kioku Bar, in Raffles London at The OWO, which opened last year at the first Raffles hotel in the UK.

Daiyame has secured a listing for its flagship product and Daiyame 40 in Kioku – a bar with a wide selection of Japanese spirits, liqueurs and sakes – and the company hopes to increase the brand’s presence among sake fans and cocktail lovers.

The bar’s opening was supported by consultant Natsuki Kikuya, a sake samurai who is dedicated to promoting Japanese alcoholic beverages in London. Kioku claims to have the largest selection of Japanese spirits in Europe.

“We offer various cocktails that express the flavours of Japanese ingredients, as well as a selection of over 120 types of Japanese sake, shochu, Japanese whisky, gin, and liqueurs,” said Kikuya. “I hope that people will enjoy the richness and excellence of the wide variety of Japanese liquors in this historic space, which represents London.”

In the Kagoshima dialect, ‘Daiyame’ represents an evening drink that brings relaxation after a long day, part of a local tradition of winding down with loved ones.

Hamada Syuzou created Daiyame (25% ABV) in September 2018, described as a versatile sweet potato shochu with a lychee-like aroma. The expression, which was also launched to coincide with Hamada Syuzou’s 150th anniversary, is said to be a pioneer of ‘aromatic’ shochu in Japan with a flavour profile reminiscent of Alsace wines.

The company followed its release with the launch of Daiyame 40 in 2021, released in international markets such as Asia, Europe and the US. Bottled at 40% ABV, it was created with bartenders and cocktails in mind.

For drinkers who want to try the shochu in a cocktail, Kioku Bar head mixologist Angelos Bafas has developed a cocktail, called Sakura, that combines Daiyame 40 and Japanese sake Tedorigawa Ikina Onna (Lady Luck) Daiginjo.

Bar takeover

The shochu masterclass will be followed by a bar takeover at 7pm featuring Julia Momose, founder of Japanese-American cocktail bar Kumiko in Chicago.

Momose will offer three cocktails using Daiyame shochu, alongside a non-alcoholic serve, and Highballs will also be available throughout the evening.

The event will provide drinkers with the chance to experience Momose’s ‘innovative approach to mixology’.

Momose was raised in Japan and is the author of The Way of the Cocktail.

Hamada Syuzou was established in 1868 and operates three distilleries, Denbeegura, Denzouingura, and Kinzangura. The company continues to challenge the possibilities of authentic shochu and was awarded the IWSC Producer Trophy in 2023.

The company will be taking part in the Speciality & Fine Food Fair, held at London Olympia from 10-11 September.

Tickets to attend the masterclass are priced at £60 and can be purchased here.