"The SG Club" achieves the highest position in Japan at the world's best bars! SG Group's remarkable accomplishment with 9 consecutive years of ranking in "THE WORLD'S BEST BARS."
"The World's 50 Best Bars 2023," an esteemed global bar award recognizing 50 establishments from around the world, was announced on October 17, 2023, both at a ceremony in Singapore and online, hosted by William Reed Business Media. The SG Club, operated by SG Group (Representative: Shingo Atarashi), which manages bars domestically and internationally, secured the 36th position, making it the highest-ranked bar in Japan. This achievement marks SG Group's ninth consecutive year on THE WORLD'S BEST BARS list.
For the 15th edition, the ceremony was held outside of Europe for the first time, bringing together top bartenders and industry professionals from around the world in Singapore. The on-site events spanned three days, with the Bartenders' Feast, a gathering of nominated bars, taking place on October 16th at Raffles Singapore, followed by the announcement and award ceremony on the 17th at Pasir Panjang Power Station. On the 18th, a closing party brunch was hosted at Mandarin Oriental Singapore.
In the awards that recognize individuals, GN Chan, who had been mentored by Shingo Atarashi since his time in New York and later went on to establish his own career, was honored as the "Altos Bartenders' Bartender" of the year. Singapore, the first-ever host city in Asia, was filled with applause, and many bars thrived during the event, with numerous guest shifts taking place. SG Group, including bartender from "The SG Club" and "El Lequio" (Naha, Okinawa), contributed by offering cocktails and enlivening Singapore's nights.
Furthermore, "El Lequio," despite being open for just one year, made history as the first bar in Okinawa to secure the 80th position in the Asian version of the same awards, "ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS 2023," while "The Odd Couple" in Shanghai earned the 87th spot.
・THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS
It consists of three floors:
- The 1st floor, "Guzzle," for enjoying cocktails in a casual atmosphere.
- The basement 1st floor, "Sip," for savoring drinks at a leisurely pace.
- The 2nd floor, a members-only lounge called "Savor," where you can relax with cigar and cocktail pairings.
Inspired by the story of the Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States dispatched by the Shogunate in 1860, the bar features an interior design that fuses Edo and New York styles. It also offers a cocktail menu inspired by the routes taken by the diplomatic mission.
(3rd place in ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS 2021 / 36th place in THE WORLD'S 50 BEST BARS 2023)
Address: 1-7-8 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_sg_club/
It consists of three floors:
- The 1st floor, "Guzzle," for enjoying cocktails in a casual atmosphere.
- The basement 1st floor, "Sip," for savoring drinks at a leisurely pace.
- The 2nd floor, a members-only lounge called "Savor," where you can relax with cigar and cocktail pairings.
Inspired by the story of the Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States dispatched by the Shogunate in 1860, the bar features an interior design that fuses Edo and New York styles. It also offers a cocktail menu inspired by the routes taken by the diplomatic mission.
(3rd place in ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS 2021 / 36th place in THE WORLD'S 50 BEST BARS 2023)
◇Address: 1-7-8 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative of SG Group. One of the most prominent bartenders in the world.
In 2006, he moved to the United States and served as Head Bartender at the renowned New York bar, Angel's Share. In 2012, he represented the United States in the world's largest cocktail competition, Bacardi Legacy, and won the global championship.
In 2014, he opened Speak Low in Shanghai. Subsequently, he continued to open bars with new concepts, and now operates 7 establishments both domestically and internationally. He has received the most awards in the WORLD'S / ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS, a total of 49 times.
In 2017, he was honored with the "International Bartender of the Year" award at Tales of the Cocktail, often referred to as the Academy Awards of the bar industry. He received the "Altos Bartenders' Bartender" award at ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS in 2019, and in 2021, he was presented with the "Roku Industry Icon Award," recognizing him as a figure emblematic of the bar industry for that year. He became the first bartender to win both of these awards.
・SG Group
A bar culture company led by founder Shingo Atarashi. It boasts numerous bartenders with a proven track record in international and domestic competitions. They develop and operate bars with innovative concepts that transcend the boundaries of traditional bars, both in Japan and internationally, earning them the most awards in WORLD'S / ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS.
In February 2020, they collaborated with three distilleries, Takahashi Shuzo (Kumamoto), Satsuma Shuzo (Kagoshima), and Sanwa Shurui (Oita), to develop a new concept of authentic shochu suitable for bars called "The SG Shochu." They released three lineups: "KOME," "IMO," and "MUGI." In 2021, the product was introduced in China, and in the fall of 2022, it was launched in North America. In March 2023, in collaboration with Mizuho Shuzo (Okinawa) and One Spirit (Okinawa), they released "KOKUTO DE LEQUIO," a liqueur made from Ryukyu awamori and Okinawan brown sugar. In the same month, they commenced general sales of "SIP AND GUZZLE," a glassware brand designed in collaboration with glass designer Yutaro Kimura. These products are available at bar tool shops like "OCHO" in Shibuya, Tokyo, and other locations.
◇SG Management Inc. https://sg-management.jp
◇Fivesenses Inc. https://fivesenses.jp
◇The SG Shochu https://thesgshochu.com
◇SG Group Instagram https://www.instagram.com/i__am__sg
・Operated establishments and awards:
Speak Low (Shanghai)
- The World’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 10th (2017)
- Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 2nd (2017)
Sober Company (Shanghai)
- The World’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 39th (2021)
- Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 5th (2021)
- The Best Bar in Mainland China (2022)
The SG Club (Tokyo)
- The World’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 36th (2023)
- Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 3rd (2021)
- The Best Bar in Japan: (2020, 2021)
The Odd Couple (Shanghai)
- Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 87th (2023)
ゑすじ郎 / SG Low (Tokyo)
- Opened in February 2021
El Lequio (Okinawa)
- Opened on March 8, 2022
- Asia’s 50 Best Bars: Ranked 80th (2023)
æ (ash) [zero-waste cafe & bar] (Tokyo)
- Opened on May 30, 2022
The SG Shochu (Authentic Shochu)
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2021)
- KOME & IMO: Double Gold Medal
- MUGI: Gold Medal
- Design Category: Bronze Medal
KOKUTO DE LEQUIO (Liqueur)
- Launched in March 2023
SIP AND GUZZLE (Glassware)
- Started general sales in March 2023
OCHO (Bar Tool Shop)
- Opened on June 16, 2023, in Shibuya.