Competing in – and winning -- the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail competition against 10,000 bartenders representing 26 countries is enough to make even the strongest cocktail crafter nervous. Unless you’re Shingo Gokan. He wasn’t shaken. He was stirred -- into pouring himself into the art of classic Japanese bartending. Gokan, who started his career in Tokyo in 2001, became the first guest bartender ever to be invited to the Savoy Hotel in London, going on to teach a master class and guest bartend at historically celebrated venues around the world. His cocktail crafting travels have taken him to more than 30 countries, leading him to open the speakeasy Speak Low in Shanghai in 2014 followed by founding Sober Company, also in Shanghai, in 2017. He’s recently been nominated for the 2017 Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Award: International Bartender of the Year for having the most influence and impact on the cocktail culture this year. So you’re asking, “Where can I experience Gokan’s sensational cocktail maestro skills? Shanghai is no “Waze” near my daily commute?” Cheers! Gokan is the creative director behind the bar and beverage program at Himitsu, giving libations at Buckhead’s by-reservation-only cocktail lounge a distinct modern vibe you won’t find anywhere else in Atlanta…or perhaps, in the world. Find him on Instagram @soberspeaker.
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