JAPAN CRAFT SPIRITS HOLIDAY 2026 (ジャパンクラフトスピリッツホリデイ2026), a craft gin event, will be held on Sunday, November 29, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Yaba Park (矢場公園) in Sakae, Nagoya. Twenty distilleries and brands from across Japan will take part, and the event is organized by Okadaya Co., Ltd. (株式会社おかだや).
Visitors can enjoy a wide range of craft gins from Hokkaido to Hiroshima while talking directly with the makers. With the Free Tasting ticket, guests can compare gins for up to five hours. A Choi-Nomi Ticket (ちょい飲みチケット) for a light tasting costs ¥1,500 and is sold on the day.
The event began in 2023 and is being held twice in 2026, in spring and autumn. In June, a special edition themed on shochu, "SHOCHU NEW WAVE," took place with 13 breweries from across Japan. This autumn, craft gin is the main feature. The theme is "Craft gin with warm food" (「あたたかい食事とともに、クラフトジンを」), and the lineup includes pairings of warm dishes with craft gin and a new "FEVER-TREE × CRAFT GIN Premium Cocktail BAR."
Background: Craft Spirits Spreading From Nagoya
Enjoy craft gin while talking directly with the makers
JAPAN CRAFT SPIRITS HOLIDAY started in Nagoya in September 2023 as a craft spirits tasting event where makers from across Japan meet visitors face to face.
From the third edition, the event moved to an open format held in a park, and it has grown into one that is easy to enjoy both for those who know spirits well and for first-timers. At least 600 people visited last year.
In June 2026, the special edition "SHOCHU NEW WAVE" was held to share new aspects of shochu. In November, 20 distilleries and brands from across Japan gather around the theme of craft gin.
Visitors can learn about the care that goes into each region's ingredients and production methods and taste while talking with the makers. This is the kind of enjoyment unique to craft spirits, offered from Sakae, in the center of Nagoya.
Highlights
1. 20 Distilleries and Brands From Across Japan, With Direct Conversation and Side-by-Side Tasting
Craft gins from Hokkaido to Hiroshima are on offer. While hearing directly from the makers about the botanicals used, their approach to production, and recommended ways to drink, visitors can compare the gins neat, on the rocks, or with soda.
2. Warm Dishes From Popular Restaurants Paired With Craft Gin
This edition's theme is "Craft gin with warm food."
With the event held outdoors at the end of November, five popular Nagoya restaurants will serve a variety of menus centered on warm dishes. These include venison Bolognese pasta, Korean-style oden, niku kishimen (kishimen noodles with meat), and curry. Visitors can try food pairings with craft gin suited to the cold season.
3. New "FEVER-TREE × CRAFT GIN Premium Cocktail BAR"
A special cocktail bar using the premium mixer FEVER-TREE is newly set up.
Cocktails combining craft gin with the premium mixer are served using recipes recommended by each distillery, offering new ways to enjoy craft gin.
Visitors with a Free Tasting ticket or a Choi-Nomi Ticket can have one cocktail at no additional charge.
4. Stage Talks With the Makers and Souvenir Bottles
On the stage in the venue, a host interviews the makers of each distillery. They share stories such as how their craft gins came to be and the care they put into their ingredients.
At the merchandise booth, products from the participating distilleries are sold, so visitors can buy a craft gin they like as a souvenir.
5. Free Entry and the ¥1,500 Choi-Nomi Ticket
Admission to Yaba Park is free. It is an open-format venue where passers-by can stop in casually.
This year, the Choi-Nomi Ticket (¥1,500), recommended for those who want just a small taste of craft gin and for first-timers, is sold on the day. It covers three tastings at the distillery booths and one cocktail at the Premium Cocktail BAR.
Non-Alcoholic Gin NEMA, a non-alcoholic craft gin that expands the possibilities of craft gin, will also exhibit.
Event Overview
- Event name: JAPAN CRAFT SPIRITS HOLIDAY 2026
- Date and time: Sunday, November 29, 2026, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (check-in opens at 10:30 AM)
- Venue: Yaba Park (矢場公園), 3-26 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
- Access: About a 5-minute walk from Exit 5 of Yabacho Station on the Meijo Line, or about a 9-minute walk from Sakae Station on the subway
- Admission: Free (a ticket is required for Free Tasting)
- Contents: Free tasting of craft gin from 20 distilleries and brands across Japan, Premium Cocktail BAR, food, stage, and bottle sales
- Organizer: Okadaya Co., Ltd. (株式会社おかだや / 酒の岡田屋)
- Official website: https://sake-okadaya.co.jp/event/japancraftspiritsholiday
- Official Instagram:
@japan_craft_spirits_holiday
Notes:
- The event takes place rain or shine.
- If the event is canceled due to severe weather, the announcement will be made on the official website and official Instagram by late night on November 27.
- There is no parking at the venue.
Tickets
- Free Tasting STANDARD (1 person, includes 1 cocktail): ¥4,000 in advance / ¥5,000 on the day
- Free Tasting GROUP (4 people, includes 1 cocktail each): ¥15,000 in advance
- Choi-Nomi Ticket (3 tastings at distillery booths plus 1 cocktail): ¥1,500 on the day
Notes:
- Free Tasting can be enjoyed for up to five hours within the event hours.
- The Choi-Nomi Ticket is sold only at the venue on the day.
- GROUP tickets are available in advance only.
- Food and souvenir bottles are paid separately.
Where to Buy Advance Tickets
- Online: Ticket Pia (チケットぴあ), P-code 662-410 (a separate handling fee set by the ticket agency applies)
- In store:
- 酒の岡田屋 (4-16-19 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya)
- ワイマーケットのクラフト食堂 ナゴロバ (3-15-11 Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya)
- YELL!ALE!!GIFU (7 Hanecho, Gifu City)
- BONSOIR (B1F, 14-6 Suwasakaemachi, Yokkaichi City)
Participating Distilleries and Brands
- 鷹栖蒸溜所 (Hokkaido)
- naturadistill 川内村蒸溜所 (Fukushima)
- Plow Distillery 五霞蒸留所 (Ibaraki)
- HOLON (Tokyo)
- 虎ノ門蒸留所 (Tokyo)
- 深川蒸留所 (Tokyo)
- Non-Alcoholic Gin NEMA (Kanagawa)
- 新蒸留研究所 (Toyama)
- Alembic Distillery (Ishikawa)
- GEEKSTILL (Yamanashi)
- 富井蒸留所 (Nagano)
- 岐阜中津川蒸留所 (Gifu)
- Aoi Gin Craft Technology (Shizuoka)
- Whiskey&Co. (Shizuoka)
- シークリフ熱海蒸溜所 (Shizuoka)
- Motoki 蒸研 (Kyoto)
- SiCX 京都蒸留所 (Kyoto)
- 森の京都蒸溜所 (Kyoto)
- 大和蒸溜所 (Nara)
- サクラオブルワリーアンドディスティラリー (Hiroshima)
Food Vendors
- カレーと酒 フィジー (curry, chili con carne, stewed tuna)
- ロカンダ オカーダ (venison Bolognese pasta, stewed venison offal)
- 円頓寺マッコリ醸造所 (Korean-style oden, Korean-style boiled dumplings)
- おばんざい食堂 円満 (niku kishimen, salt-simmered stew)
- 菓酒店 jira (chocolate soup, pound cake, cookies, chocolate cake)
Please Note
- Drinking alcohol under the age of 20 is prohibited by law. Those under 20 can enter only when accompanied by a guardian aged 20 or over, and no alcohol will be served to them.
- Never drink and drive. Please do not come by car or bicycle.
