Shingo Gokan has spent recent years really shaking things up far beyond Shanghai fame. The dapper face and founder of SG Group and its collective illustrious bars help keep Shanghai's cocktail scene on the map, with Speak Low, Sober Company and The Odd Couple being internationally-recognized destinations in the world of food and beverage.

The bartender has opened a slew of new venues in recent years, both independently and as part of SG group's micro empire. Shingo has officially expanded his reach with bars in not only Shanghai and Tokyo, but three other major cities on two more continents, with milestones to commemorate along the way.

Lots to party about

While he's earned a host of awards himself – including being the first person to win both Asia's 50 Best Bars "Bartender's Bartender" and "Industry Icon" awards, two of the most highly regarded accolades in hospitality – Shingo keeps the celebrations about the team. Like when the SG Group's venues across China and Japan collectively achieved an astounding 50 times on the lists of World's and Asia's 50 Best Bars… to celebrate, he brought in one bartender from each of their "50 Best" bars for a party in Tokyo, where they served over 1,500 drinks to a packed house in the middle of a crazy typhoon.

"We never get super high [on the lists], but at the same time it's not just Speak Low and SG Club winning awards…" shared Shingo. "It feels great. For me it's even more valuable, as a big team."

And then there was the 10th anniversary for Shanghai's stalwart speakeasy, Speak Low (alongside other iconic Shanghai cocktail bars such as The Union Trading Company and EPIC). They marked that occasion with a full month of guest bartending shifts across all of their local venues. Long story short: If a Shingo-style party pops up in your feed, mark it on your calendar.

And then there were 10, 11, 12…?

Independent of SG Group's four aforementioned Shanghai venues (including the latest, Swirl) and five in Japan (The SG Club, SG Low, æ (ash) and The SG Tavern in Tokyo; El Lequio in Okinawa), Shingo's most recent openings include Sip & Guzzle in New York, Devil's Share in Madrid (his first foray into Europe), and Gokan in Hong Kong (which just entered the list of Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 at No. 33). That makes him the proprietor of grand total of 12 establishments across three continents – the "SG crew," as he calls it. And always the whisper of others…

Shingo enjoys the management side of running a full roster of award-winning bars, but he gets behind the stick at each of his venues as often as possible – weekly in fact. He's a bartender, after all. (Oh, in his spare time he also runs two Japanese spirits brands.)

Visit these new bars

If you happen to find yourself in one of the six cities Shingo currently has a bar, you know where to go get a drink. His signature amalgamation of American-style cocktails and Japanese-style service is seamlessly woven through the fabric of his concepts, and each is a model of modern hospitality.

Since few have time to visit a cool dozen bars, here are five of Shingo's spots to check out around the globe, depending where your travels take you:

Swirl (Shanghai)

Swirl (Shanghai)

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"No Shake, No Stir, Just Swirl." is the intriguing tagline of the newest addition to Shingo's Shanghai cocktail bar collective. This wine cocktail bar built on a Tokyo concept is now located beside Speak Low in Shanghai's charming old Xuhui area, with drinks inspired by the wine tasting experience. Each cocktail is a collab between bartender and sommelier, who use the same principles and techniques behind food pairing to bring together fresh ingredients with fine wines.

If you go...

577 Fuxing Rd M., Shanghai

上海复兴中路577号

Gokan (Hong Kong)

Gokan (Hong Kong)

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The lively cocktail bar in Central district just hosted its one-year anniversary, alongside its entry to the list of Asia's 50 Best Bars. Gokan – a name that also means "five senses" in Japanese – offers a sensory drinking experience where cocktail profiles reflect elements of cuisine, served with Shingo's signature Japanese hospitality and precision in achingly slick, vintage-inspired settings.

The SG Tavern (Tokyo)

The SG Tavern (Tokyo)

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This modern tavern is an ode to young samurai who secretly traveled from Japan to Britain in the 19th century, traversing their route via food and drink. Chef Yoshihiro Nagisawa of eponymous two-Michelin-starred restaurant Nagisawa oversees a menu that infuses a journey from east and west with Japanese elements.

Sip & Guzzle (New York)

Sip & Guzzle (New York)

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If you're lucky you'll catch co-founder Steve Schneider behind the bar on any given night at this second venture from the pair of bar industry icons (the first of course being The Odd Couple in Shanghai). While The SG Club in Tokyo imagines the kind of American bar 19th-century traveling samurai would have opened when they returned from NYC to Tokyo, Sip & Guzzle is what would happen if they then took the best of both cities and opened another bar.

Devil's Cut (Madrid)

Devil's Cut (Madrid)

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Fun Fact: Shingo came up in the bartending world at New York's Angel's Share, named for the eponymous bit of whiskey that evaporates during aging. An homage to those roots, Devil's Cut takes its name from the bit that's absorbed by the barrel, with a drinks menu of tested classics SG favorites.

And don't forget to check out these Shanghai institutions:

Speak Low

Address: 579 Fuxing Rd M.

复兴中路579号

Sober Company

Address: 1/F, 109 Yandang Rd, inside of INS

雁荡路109号1楼INS乐园内

The Odd Couple

Address: No. 25, Lane 181 Taicang Rd

太仓路181弄25号