Beam Suntory announces Roku as the exclusive Gin partner of the "world's 50 best bars”.

Roku Presented the “Roku Industry Icon Award” at the Virtual Awards Ceremony on November 5, 2020

Beam Suntory is proud to announce Roku as the official Gin Partner of The World’s 50 Best Bars. As part of the partnership, Roku presented the “Roku Industry Icon Award” at the virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, November 5, 2020.

The World’s 50 Best Bars provides the definitive list of the world’s best drinking venues, voted for by an Academy of more than 540 experts worldwide. The World’s 50 Best Bars list has been published annually since 2009 and has become the most anticipated ranking for drinks professionals and cocktail aficionados across the world, with the awards the highlight of the bar industry calendar.

“We are thrilled to partner with the World’s 50 Best Bars and support its recognition of the craftsmanship and experiences that the bar community represent,” says Jon Potter, Managing Director for the House of Suntory. “In this challenging year, along with our financial support of the on premise by our parent company Beam Suntory, we are extremely proud to acknowledge the bars that have made the World’s 50 Best Bars list.”

“We are delighted to welcome Roku and the House of Suntory to the 50 Best family,” says Roger Betriu, Partnerships Director for the World’s 50 Best Bars. “The choice of a partner is a very important decision, at 50 Best we are not only looking at the prestige of a brand, but also the people behind it, and with these difficult times Roku and its team have shown relentless passion and support to the project.”

The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars was unveiled on November 5, 2020 as part of a virtual award ceremony that was streamed through The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV channel on YouTube.

In addition to the 50 Best Bars nominees, top South African bars Sin + Tax in Johannesburg (#69) and Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen in Cape Town (#75) have placed on the prestigious extended list of The World’s Best 50 Bars.

ROKU was launched in 2017 in Japan and later released globally. It is now available in the world where Top Bars are present. Roku, which translates as “six” in Japanese, is made with six traditional Japanese botanicals that are infused, distilled and blended by the Japanese artisans of Suntory Spirits in Osaka, Japan. The Japanese botanicals – Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Yuzu peel, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea and Sansho pepper – are harvested in accordance with ‘shun’, the tradition of enjoying each ingredient at its best by only harvesting at its peak of flavor and perfection. Roku balances the Japanese botanicals with eight traditional gin botanicals. The result is a complex yet harmonious gin with a smooth and silky texture.

Created from Japanese ingredients by the master artisans at the House of Suntory, the Founding House of Japanese Whisky, Roku represents the nature and spirit of Japan. This premium spirit embodies Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii’s philosophy of monozukuri craftsmanship: a relentless pursuit of perfection, meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality.

Roku is bottled at 43% ABV and available in major retailers nationwide; Makro, Pick n Pay, Checkers and selected TOPS at Spar, for a suggested retail price from R299. You can also order online through Takealot, Norman GoodFellows and others.