"KUBOTA GIN" Brand Ambassador Shingo Kasori Cooperates on Event, Devises Original Cocktails Expressing "Satoyama" for Limited-Time Offer

Asahi Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, President: Kō Hosoda) will cooperate with the event "Guest Shift Night at ESCALIER – Curated by Shingo Kasori," to be held from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Saturday, July 11, 2026, at the Sky Bar "Escalier" on the 22nd floor of The Westin Tokyo, through cocktail recipe development and participation as a guest bartender. The cooperation involves limited-time original cocktails using "KUBOTA GIN," a gin that expresses "satoyama" (the transitional zone between mountain forests and lowland plains).

Photo Credit: The Westin Tokyo

"KUBOTA GIN" is a gin produced by Asahi Shuzo, the brewer of the sake "Kubota." With the theme of Japan's "satoyama," it aims to provide moments of "healing" and "relaxation" that reconnect people with nature.

This project is a limited-time event hosted by the Sky Bar "Escalier" on the 22nd floor of The Westin Tokyo. Shingo Kasori, the brand ambassador for "KUBOTA GIN," has cooperated in the development of cocktail recipes. He has devised four original cocktails and one non-alcoholic cocktail inspired by the scenery of satoyama. Guests can enjoy the delicate flavors unique to "KUBOTA GIN" in cocktails, along with the sophisticated atmosphere of The Westin Tokyo and the panoramic view from the hotel's top floor.

During the event period, Shingo Kasori will also be present as a guest bartender, directly conveying the appeal of "KUBOTA GIN" through conversations with customers. It will be a special week to experience the taste and worldview of "KUBOTA GIN" through original cocktails.

【Event Overview】

Event Name: Guest Shift Night at ESCALIER – Curated by Shingo Kasori

Period: Sunday, July 5, 2026 – Saturday, July 11, 2026

Reservations: https://www.tablecheck.com/ja/shops/westin-tokyo-escalier/reserve

Time: <Guest Bartender Shift>

Sunday, July 5 – Thursday, July 9: 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Friday, July 10 – Saturday, July 11: 7:30 PM – 12:00 AM

Venue: Sky Bar "Escalier," 22nd Floor, The Westin Tokyo

Price: ¥3,000 each

Contents: Offer of 4 original cocktails using KUBOTA GIN and 1 non-alcoholic cocktail

Photo Credit: The Westin Tokyo

KUBOTA GIN Brand Ambassador

Shingo Kasori

Active as a bartender for 20 years, with experience as Head Bartender at international hotels and awards from domestic and international cocktail competitions. He has traveled to over 10 countries, visiting the birthplaces of cocktails while continuing to explore and research cocktail culture. Currently, at Asahi Shuzo Co., Ltd., his mission is to spread "KUBOTA GIN," which utilizes Japan's nature and traditions, to the world. He engages in a wide range of activities including ambassadorial work, SNS promotions, sales strategy planning, and on-site sales. He pursues the potential of KUBOTA GIN by leveraging his deep knowledge based on his experience as a bartender. He is currently sharing 100 gin cocktail recipes on Instagram (@kubota_gin_japan).

【Cocktail Introductions】 *In order from the top of the image

Product Name: Astro Boy (Manhattan)

A recommended cocktail for liquor enthusiasts. An arrangement of "Manhattan," a whiskey-based cocktail with a complex flavor profile that allows one to savor the sweetness, sourness, and gin's botanical notes over time, using KUBOTA GIN.

Product Name: White NINJA (Bamboo & Martini)

A dry and herbal short cocktail. Represented with a bamboo leaf decoration, it has a flavor profile intermediate between the Japanese representative cocktail "Bamboo" and the "King of Cocktails," "Martini." It's a new way to savor satoyama.

Product Name: IZANAGI 88 (French 75)

A refreshing and crisp cocktail. The meaning of "88" comes from the kanji characters "八" (eight) and "十" (ten) and "八" (eight), which when combined form "米" (rice). This cocktail uses Japanese sake sparkling and is inspired by the Japanese nature depicted by the ambassador.

Product Name: Macha de COCO (mocktail)

A non-alcoholic cocktail made with amazake and matcha. It has a sweet and sour taste due to the use of pineapple juice, making it enjoyable even for those who do not drink alcohol.

Product Name: AKA ONI (Negroni)

An arrangement of the globally popular cocktail "Negroni" into a Japanese summer version. With the addition of watermelon flavor, it offers a bitter yet fruity taste that evokes the season.

Photo Credit: The Westin Tokyo

About The Westin Tokyo

Located in the sophisticated and lush green district of Ebisu, The Westin Tokyo is a leading European-style hotel in Japan that celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2024. Following a major renovation in 2023, it operates as an "Urban Wellness Hotel" dedicated to assisting guests in having a well-being-filled stay, offering various unique programs that provide mental and physical relaxation and revitalization. All guest rooms are equipped with the latest "Heavenly Bed," developed by Westin Hotels & Resorts to pursue deep sleep and acclaimed as "the sleep of the clouds," ensuring a comfortable night's rest. The hotel also features seven distinctive restaurants, bars, and lounges, as well as the authentic European spa "Le Spa Parisien," offering exquisite spa treatments for mental and physical relaxation. Within the hotel grounds lies "The Westin Garden," a green oasis in the city designed by the world-renowned landscape artist Kazuyuki Ishihara, who has won numerous gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show in the UK, offering a different landscape experience with each season.

About Asahi Shuzo Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1830 (Tenpo 1) in Asahi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, an area surrounded by rice paddies and satoyama. For over 190 years, the company has continued its sincere sake brewing, focusing on Niigata-grown ingredients, utilizing the soft, clear underground water flowing through its founding location, high-quality sake rice cultivated through research with local farmers, and technological innovation based on research and the wisdom passed down from Koshiji Toji (master brewers). Asahi Shuzo values quality and customer satisfaction above all else.