Miley Penndragon crowned as Winner of The Great Honkaku Shochu & Awamori Contest 2026.

The UK Bartenders’ Guild has announced the winner of The Great Honkaku Shochu & Awamori Contest 2026, shining a spotlight on creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling within the UK’s bartending community.

Taking first place is Miley Penndragon of The Domino Club in Leeds, whose cocktail and overall performance impressed judges during the live final held on 9th March at The Caley Bar at Caledonian Hotel Edinburgh. Her winning serve, titled “What’s The Story with Awamori?”, stood out not only for its flavour and technical execution but also for the strength of its narrative, reflecting a deep understanding of the spirit category and its heritage.

The competition, organised in partnership with the Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS), continues a five-year collaboration aimed at raising awareness of Honkaku Shochu and Awamori, two of Japan’s most distinctive traditional spirits, among UK bartenders. As part of this initiative, participants were invited to create cocktails…