Is Shochu "Japanese Tequila"?HIGH ROAD SPIRITS' marketing techniques.- Part 2-

What does the owner of NY importer "HIGH ROAD SPIRITS" think about the appeal of Japanese spirits?The next spirit after Japanese whiskey?We also asked him to tell us the secret to selling it around the world.

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi

The scene at the immediate sales event held at the "Wolf and Crane" bar in LA.Ichiro's Malt Malt and Grain 111° (orange box), available only in the U.S., sold out in just 15 minutes. The top image shows BAKEMONO, a limited edition Mars Whiskey by Tokiwa Imports, part of HIGH ROAD.

Visitors to Japan became fans of Japanese spirits.

Americans have a habit of drinking spirits at home.

The Corona disaster led to an increase in the number of consumers enriching their home bars, and expensive whiskeys and gins began to sell on e-commerce sites.

Currently, the number of home drinkers is increasing again due to inflation, and it can be said that home drinking has now completely taken root in daily life.

In addition, the Japanese spirits industry has been enjoying a tailwind from the Japan boom.

The number of American tourists visiting Japan exceeded 2.04 million (in 2023), an increase over the number before the Corona disaster, and Americans who have visited Japan have actually become fans of Japanese spirits.

"For example, Ki no Bi is now a popular gin in the U.S., but when we first started selling it, no one even looked at it.

The retail price of Ki no Bi in the U.S. is about $70, while the average price of gin is $15 to $25.

The average price of gin is $15 to $25, which is a price that makes it hard to say, "Let's give it a try.

However, with the Japanese boom in the U.S., Americans who visited Japan became fans of Ki no Bi in Japan and wanted to drink it after returning to their home countries.

This led to a sharp increase in inquiries."(Yuno)

"Daiyame" served at the BCB.Its gorgeous fragrance is popular among women!

Is Shochu "Japanese Tequila"?

What do they pay attention to among these Japanese spirits?

Eric raised the keywords of "local color," "heritage," and "handmade" as keywords for products that will be accepted in the U.S.

The spirits that fit these keywords are shochu and awamori.

”Americans love tequila and mezcal, which have a rich regional flavor and craftiness.

The reason for their popularity in the U.S. is because of their empathy for AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), heritage, and craft.

Compared to tequila, which is mass-produced in factories, mezcal, which is often handmade, has a unique story, which also tickles people's curiosity.

If you think about this trend in terms of Japanese products, shochu and awamori fit the bill," says Eric.

If a shochu producer has a great flavor, a unique story, and is small and niche, "it will sell for sure, even at a high price," says Eric.

”On the other hand, the key to selling here is not to sell at a discount.

Since it is a product that requires a lot of work, we should be confident and charge a price that is commensurate with the work.

It is important that the geekiness that is uniquely Japanese be clearly expressed in the product.”（Eric）

A "Daiyame martini" made by Takuma Watanabe at Martiny's in NY.

Shochu & Awamori for Spirits of the World.

They has been selling the shochu for a while in U.S., but its sales have been struggling.

However, the shochu scene may be about to change forever.

One such shochu that has given us a taste of what's to come is Daijime (Hamada Shuzo).

The newest addition to the SG SHOCHU lineup is Daiyame, a sweet, mellow sake with a lychee-like aroma that Americans can drink without hesitation.

When Takuma Watanabe held a martini-making event at Martiny's in New York City, many New Yorkers jumped at the chance to try a Daiyame Martini.

"It's more moderate in alcohol content for a spirit and more affordable than gin.

We think that the aromatic shochu "Daiyame" will be accepted in the American market," says Yuno.

For products intended for the U.S., the label design is also Japonesque and nostalgic.

The target audience for shochu promotion is, after all, foreigners visiting Japan.

Although they hope that Japanese Gen Z will pay more attention to shochu and awamori, the Japanese population is limited and is becoming less and less interested in alcohol.

If that is the case, targeting the more than 30 million foreigners who visit Japan each year would have more impact than targeting only the Japanese.

When targeting foreigners, what will stick in their minds is the story that the product is "marketed in Japan" and "approved by the Japanese.

Or, products like Mr. Tatsuya Motonaga's "SCARLET", Mr. Yamazaki's "THE JAPANESE BITTERS", or Mr. Shingo Gokan's "THE SG SHOCHU", which are made with uniquely Japanese ingredients and have a taste that can only be found in Japan.

Such products are easy to promote their stories, and many people are actually interested in them," says Yuno.

Continuing from the first part, let's start with this year's "BCB".On the left is Tatsuya Motonaga of "SCARLET" and on the right is Masashi Sakuma, ambassador of "Ki no Bi".

We asked them what Japanese products they are interested in.

"There are many things that I think are good."AKAYANE"'s sansho spirits from Kagoshima, "Echigo Yakuso"'s wild herb spirits from Niigata, and Awamori from Okinawa.

There are many interesting things.

I would like to encourage Japanese spirits makers to stick to the Japanese tradition.

That is what makes them valuable in the world market."（Eric）