LOS ANGELES (FEBRUARY 19, 2025) – The Los Angeles Dodgers and Oita, Japan-based Nikaido Shuzou Co., Ltd. today announce a partnership agreement that establishes Nikaido as The Official Shochu of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Nikaido family has been brewing and distilling in Oita prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, for eight generations. Founded in Hiji-Machi in 1866 as a sake (nihon-shu) brewery, it has remained in the ownership of the Nikaido family ever since.
In 1949, Nikaido began to switch from brewing sake to distilling shochu, drawing on the family’s generations of experience working with koji, the essential component in the making of both sake and shochu.
In a significant turning point in Japanese drinking culture, in 1974 Nikaido introduced the first 100% mugi (barley) shochu. What was once a region-specific spirit exploded in popularity throughout the country. Now 99.6% of Oita shochu is barley based.
In 2024, Nikaido’s Shochu was made available in the US for the first time in the brand’s nearly 160-year history.
Nikaido’s Shochu has been described as ‘smooth, crisp, and bright combined with a richly aromatic fruity barley heart, integrated with clarity and definition’.
Nikaido Shochu will be offered at Dodger Stadium in select locations throughout the ballpark, presenting fans with the opportunity to enjoy Japan’s national drink neat, on the rocks, and in signature cocktails, such as the NIKASO™ - a flavorful, low-calorie, highball-style drink made with well-chilled Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu and well-chilled soda water served over ice and finished with fresh juice, such as kabosu, yuzu, and pink grapefruit.
“Nikaido Shochu and the Dodgers will form a first-class partnership, and we could not be more pleased,” said Lon Rosen, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Los Angeles Dodgers. “We look forward to joining them in engaging with our fans on a number of levels, and we happily welcome them as The Official Shochu of the Dodgers.”
“We are thrilled to join the Dodgers, both as long-time overseas supporters of the team, and now as the team’s Official Shochu,” said Yuichi Nikaido, 8th generation President of Nikaido Shuzou Co., Ltd. “The Dodgers are recognized worldwide as among the most inclusive franchises in professional sports globally, and one that has proven time and time again to embrace Japanese culture. We are excited, now, to introduce Japan’s national drink to Dodger fans throughout the 2025 season and beyond."
About the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with eight World Series championships and 25 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence. The Dodgers, baseball’s 2024 World Champions, have been recognized as ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year and are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world.
About Nikaido Shuzou Co., LTD.
The Nikaido family has been brewing and distilling in Oita prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, for eight generations. Founded in Hiji-Machi in 1866 as a nihon-shu brewery, it has remained in the ownership of the Nikaido family ever since.
In 1949, NIKAIDO began to switch production from nihon-shu to shochu, drawing on the family’s generations of experience working with koji, the essential component in the making of nihon-shu and shochu.
Since the 16th century, shochu has been made using rice koji. But in the early 1970s, Mr. Akira Nikaido, the 6th generation president of the Nikaido Shuzou, began to develop a novel method of making a 100% barley koji, with the aim of creating a shochu with a cleaner, more broadly palatable flavor profile. He predicted that this would make shochu more accessible to the drinking public, and lead to a growth in popularity of the spirit. When combined with vacuum distillation, the resulting liquid was a new, easier-drinking style that preserved delicate floral aromas and subtle vanilla, toasted coconut, and stone-fruit flavor notes.
In 1974, the first 100% mugi (barley) shochu was released to an enthusiastic public. What was once a region-specific spirit soon became the national drink of Japan, and mugi shochu became the style for which Oita prefecture was known. Now 99.6% of Oita shochu is barley based.
In March 2024, Nikaido Oita Mugi Shochu and NIKAIDO Kitchom Oita Mugi Shochu were made available in the US market for the first time.
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