Christopher Pellegrini is a shochu and awamori expert living in Tokyo, Japan (licensed by SSI in Japan and SSA in the United States). He is the author of “The Shochu Handbook,” the first book about shochu and awamori written in a language other than Japanese. Additionally, he is a contributor to the upcoming “Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails,” and serves as a judge on … [Read more...]

Based in New York City, Stephen is the editor of Kanpai.US and a certified shochu and awamori expert (licensed by SSA in the United States). He has extensive experience working on shochu distillery floors and is undertaking a multi-year apprenticeship at Yamato Zakura Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture. He received a James Beard nomination for his 2019 publication, "The Japan … [Read more...]