Metropolis-994

nyc mixologist
serves serious
shots of spirit
By Brandi Goode
After 19 years in the
cocktail business, Jim
Meehan finds inspiration
in Japan’s veteran
bartender icons.
“We just don’t have 50 or 60-yearold
bartending masters in America
local flavors
Japan
Drams
10 Japanese
whiskies to try
By Stefan Van Eycken
It used to be a running joke, Japanese
whisky. Then, it started
beating top Scotch whiskies at
competitions worldwide and
people stopped laughing. But with
so many different brands out there,
where does one start?
Blends
Suntory Kakubin (¥1,480) is probably
the only whisky in the world
that doesn’t carry its name on the
label. It’s so iconic, it doesn’t need
the latest dish on food & drink in the big cityDining Out
tastemaker
Jim
meehan
who’ve devoted their lives to their
craft. Especially as I get older myself,
I really appreciate what guys like
[Hidetsugu] Ueno of Bar High Five
and [Kazuo] Ueda at Tender do.”
Jim’s bar in New York, PDT (short
for Please Don’t Tell—though by
now, the secret’s out), won the 2012
inaugural Outstanding Bar Program
Award granted by the James Beard
Foundation. The PDT philosophy
is one of serious playfulness; Jim
insists that while it is important
for his team members to be serious
about their work as mixologists,
to. Though it’s been around since
1937, Kakubin is spearheading the
current highball revival. There’s a
reason for that: it’s simple, clean—
and dirt-cheap.
Often overlooked because of its
understated design, Nikka ‘From
The Barrel’ (¥1,630) is probably
the best value-for-money Japanese
whisky available. It’s robust and
full of character. Also, it’s bottled at
a higher strength (51.4%), meaning
part of the fun is experimenting with
water to find out what works for you.
Most people will be familiar with
premium blend Hibiki 12 (¥4,680)
from the movie Lost in Translation.
Bill Murray was trying to push the
17, but Suntory have since released a
12-year-old version. One of the things
that sets it apart from Scotch is its partial
maturation in ex-umeshu casks.
The man behind the blend Ichiro’s
Malt & Grain “White Label”
(¥3,500) is not the baseball legend
but the leading craft distiller in
Photo by doron gild
maintaining a sense of fun is paramount—an
attitude that also helped
him take home an American Bartender
of the Year title.
“It’s the yin and the yang. We
serve sophisticated $15 cocktails in
a dark basement with tater tots and
hip hop.”
Jim recently made his second trip
to Tokyo for an event called “The Tao
of Cocktails” at the Park Hyatt’s New
York Bar, when we had the chance
to sit down and talk about whisky,
Japan and all things cocktail. One of
PDT’s signature drinks, served at the
event, embodies his dual philosophy.
The Tao of Pooh combines Manuka
honey vodka, Galliano, lemon bitters
and coconut water to make a sinfully
refreshing beverage.
When it comes to whisky, Jim says
Japanese brands occupy a subcategory
in the US. It’s often discovered
by consumers and bartenders last,
partially because they are highly
allocated—but connoisseurs readily
appreciate the quality of the discovery.
“What I see in America is that we’re
creators, and Japanese and Germans
perfect those creations.”
He relates how during a visit to
the Bowmore facility in Scotland,
he observed how the brewmasters
there love their whisky and preserve
everything about it. At Suntory, however,
they are of a different mindset,
constantly changing things in the
continual pursuit of perfection. This,
Japan, Ichiro Akuto. Part of the
blend comes from his own distillery
in Chichibu, which he set up
in 2008, but it also contains other
obscure whiskies he managed to get
his hands on.
single Malts
Released last year, Yamazaki NAS
(¥2,590) is the most versatile Japanese
whisky on the market. It’s
fabulous neat or on the rocks, in a
highball, mizuwari, or in cocktails.
Sorry to disappoint the rap fans, but
“NAS” is shorthand for “no age statement.”
Plain and simple: it won’t tell
you how old it is.
Single malt recommendations
are tricky. So much depends on the
style you like and the mood you’re in.
The best way to get to know the field
is to try two on opposite sides of the
spectrum, like the Yoichi 10 (¥4,875)
and the Hakushu 12 (¥7,350)—then
move on to others in your favored
range or style.
sample some of the world's
top drams at Whisky live and
discover other drinks and cocktails
at the tokyo international
bar show—including tips and
techniques from industry "legends
& rising stars." everyone
welcome. tickets are ¥5,000
(¥9,000 weekend pass) and
available online or at nippon
bartending association member
bars. check online for events
schedule and ticket information
tokyobarshow.com
he says, is essentially, wonderfully
Japanese.
Jim will be back in Tokyo to
appear at the Tokyo International Bar
Show as part of the “Legends & Rising
Stars” series of events, where he plans
to talk about his thought process
behind creating cocktails like those
in the recent promotion.
“Japan has so much amazing produce,
and many unique, high-quality
ingredients, even mass-produced
ones,” he says. “The focus here is more
on perfecting classic cocktails, but I
hope to encourage people to also create
new drinks.”
He just may be the right man for
the job.
Jim Meehan will be presenting
at the Tokyo International Bar
Show and Whisky Live 2013,
April 20-21 at Belle Salle Shibuya
Garden.
Karuizawa wasn’t always the
Rolls Royce of Japanese whiskies. In
fact, it closed in 2000 after poor sales
figures. Then, whisky geeks abroad
discovered it and loved it—but it was
too late. At the moment, the single
cask Karuizawa 12yo (¥10,500) bottled
for Isetan in Shinjuku is the only
one you’ll find in Japan!
Until further notice, Mars Maltage
3+25 (¥14,963) is the best
blended malt whisky in the world
(2013 World Whiskies Awards). A
blend of malt from long-gone distilleries
in Yamanashi and Kagoshima
that was matured in Nagano, this is
history in a bottle, but more importantly:
it’s absolutely stunning.
Our last one isn’t really a whisky,
but there’s whisky in it—and it’s
perfect for this time of the year. An
umeshu with a punch, it’s the whiskybased
White Oak Umeshu (¥1,260).
Want to know more? Visit www.
nonjatta.com for all things
whisky and Japan.
#994 • www.metropolis.co.jp • 21