Here are new cocktails and spirits books being released in September 2025.
To see all the New Drink Books of 2025, visit this link.
I keep a close eye on new books on drinks (mostly cocktails and spirits rather than beer/wine), and I read most of them that come out every year.
On this post I'll keep track of them. I probably won't include every cultural franchise tie-in cocktail book (Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc) but some. If you want to see books from 2024, check out: Fall 2024 Drink Books and Spring/Summer 2024 Drink Books.
September 2025 Drink Books:
New Finds:
June, July, and August New Drink Book Releases 2025
Additional April and May Books
April through May 2025 Drink Book Releases
January Through March 2025 Drink Book Releases
Note: As indicated on my About page, all purchase links on Alcademics may take you to a page where I earn a small commission.
It's time for the annual Alcademics drink book round-up! Below are all the books that have come to my attention in 2020. I don't follow wine/beer closely so there are only a few in that section.
The links below are to Amazon and to Bookshop.org. If you buy stuff after clicking on a link, I may receive a referral fee, thanks! If there is just one link, that's to Amazon as I only started using Bookshop mid-way through the year – you can always click over to Bookshop and search there. Bookshop.org allows you to order from small bookstores directly, or buy from a general fund that supports independent bookstores.
Whiskey Books
Whiskey Master Class: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, and More by Lew Bryson
The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries: The Portable Expert to Over 200 Distilleries and the Spirits they Make (From Absinthe to Whisky, and Everything in Between) by Davin de Kergommeaux and Blair Phillips
Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon?: Setting the Table for Tastings, Food Pairings, Dinners, and Cocktail Parties by Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler
Whisky, it's not rocket science by Mickael Guidot
Canadian Spirits: The Essential Cross-Country Guide to Distilleries, Their Spirits, and Where to Imbibe Them by Stephen Beaumont and Christine Sismondo
Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland’s Whiskies by Margarett Waterbury buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Curious Bartender’s Guide to Malt, Bourbon & Rye Whiskies by Tristan Stephenson [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The Sazerac by Tim McNally [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Beginner's Guide to Whiskey: Traditions, Types, and Tastes of the Ultimate Spirit by Sam Green [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Terroir of Whiskey: A Distiller's Journey Into the Flavor of Place by Rob Arnold [Amazon][Bookshop]
American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon from Ripy to Russell by David Jennings [Amazon][Bookshop]
Other Spirits: Gin, Rum
Gin: How to Drink it: 125 Gins, 4 Ways by Dave Broom [Amazon]
The Curious Bartender’s Guide to Rum by Tristan Stephenson [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Brand Books
Seedlip Cocktails: 100 Delicious Nonalcoholic Recipes from Seedlip & The World's Best Bars by Seedlip
Chartreuse, The Liqueur [CocktailKingdom]
A Long Stride: The Story of the World's No. 1 Scotch Whisky by Nicholas Morgan buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Science Food and Drink Books
Science and Cooking: Physics Meets Food, From Homemade to Haute Cuisine by Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, David Weitz [Amazon][Bookshop]
Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells by Harold McGee: [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes by Nik Sharma [Amazon][Bookshop]
Beer, Wine, Vermouth, Sake, Fermentation
Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles by Natalya Watson
A Spirited Guide to Vermouth: An Aromatic Journey with Botanical Notes, Classic Cocktails and Elegant Recipes by Jack Adair Bevan
How to Make Hard Seltzer: Refreshing Recipes for Sparkling Libations by Chris Colby [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Wine, Unfiltered: Buying, Drinking, and Sharing Natural Wine by Katherine Clary [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Hugh Johnson s Pocket Wine Book by Hugh Johnson [Amazon]
The Wine Game by Zeren Wilson [Buy]
The Japanese Sake Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Great Sake (With Tasting Notes and Scores for Over 100 Top Brands) by Brian Ashcraft [Amazon][Bookshop]
Journey of Sake: Stories and Wisdom from an Ancient Tradition [Amazon]
Fermentation as Metaphor by Sandor Ellix Katz [Amazon] [Bookshop]
History Books
Rabbinic Drinking: What Beverages Teach Us About Rabbinic Literature by Jordan D. Rosenblum
How to Drink: A Classical Guide to the Art of Imbibing (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers) by Vincent Obsopoeus [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
How to Drink without Drinking: Celebratory alcohol-free drinks for any time of the day by Fiona Beckett [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You're Not Drinking for Whatever Reason by Julia Bainbridge [Amazon] [Bookshop]
FIZZ: A Beginners Guide to Making Natural, Non-Alcoholic Fermented Drinks
by Elise van Iterson and Barbara Serulus
Zero: A New Approach to Non-Alcoholic Drinks [Amazon] [The Aviary]
Bartending: Narrative and Professional
Unvarnished: A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar by Eric Alperin and Deborah Stoll
Bartender as a Business: Building Agency from Craft by Jason Littrell [Amazon][Bookshop]
Botanical Focus and Witchcraft
Garden to Glass: Grow Your Drinks from the Ground Up by Mike Wolf
Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine by Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han
WitchCraft Cocktails: 70 Seasonal Drinks Infused with Magic & Ritual by Julia Halina Hadas [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Potions, Elixirs & Brews: A modern witches' grimoire of drinkable spells by Anais Alexandre [buy on Bookshop ] [buy on Amazon]
Blackthorn's Botanical Brews: Herbal Potions, Magical Teas, and Spirited Libations by Amy Blackthorn [buy on Bookshop ] [buy on Amazon]
Cocktail Books
General/Classic/Historic Cocktail Books
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: Prohibition Centennial Edition: From the 1920 Pick-Me-Up to the Zombie and Beyond – 150+ Rediscovered Recipes … With a New Introduction and 66 New Recipes by Ted Haigh (Author)
Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails by John deBary
Spirited: Cocktails from around the World by Adrienne Stillman [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Think Like a Master Mixologist, with 500 Recipes by Dale DeGroff [Amazon] [Bookshop]
On the House: Over 100 Essential Tips and Recipes for the Home Bartender by Cider Mill Press buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Classic Cocktails by Brian D. Hoefling [Amazon][Bookshop]
Splash: Modern Classic Cocktails by Ivy Mix (Author), Whoo Kid [Amazon]
CO Specs: Recipes & Histories of Classic Cocktails by Cas Oh [Amazon]
Themed Cocktail Books
The Good Reverend's Guide to Infused Spirits: Alchemical Cocktails, Healing Elixirs, and Cleansing Solutions for the Home and Bar by Steven Grasse, Sonia Kurtz, Michael Alan
Camp Cocktails: Easy, Fun, and Delicious Drinks for the Great Outdoors by Emily Vikre
Drinking with Chickens: Free-Range Cocktails for the Happiest Hour by Kate E. Richards
Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette
Disco Cube Cocktails: 100+ innovative recipes for artful ice and drinks by Leslie Kirchhoff
Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails: 75 Classic And Contemporary Drinks To Make At Home by Amy Traynor
Pink Gin: More than 30 pink-hued cocktails
Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails.
Behind the Bar: 50 Cocktail Recipes from the World's Most Iconic Hotels by Alia Akkam [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Fizz: 80 Joyful Cocktails and Mocktails for Every Occasion by Olly Smith [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Beautiful Booze: Stylish Cocktails to Make at Home by Natalie Migliarini and James Stevenson [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The Cocktail Dictionary: An A-Z of cocktail recipes, from Daiquiri and Negroni to Martini and Spritz by Henry Jeffreys [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Peaky Blinders Cocktail Book: 40 Cocktails Selected by The Shelby Company Ltd by Sandrine Houdre-Gregoire [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The Shaken and the Stirred: The Year's Work in Cocktail Culture (The Year's Work: Studies in Fan Culture and Cultural Theory) Edited by Stephen Schneider and Craig N. Owens [Amazon] [Bookshop]
T𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 by Grade A Fancy Magazine [buy]
Star Trek Cocktails: A Stellar Compendium by Glenn Dakin buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Classy as Fuck Cocktails: 60+ Damn Good Recipes for All Occasions buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home by J. M. Hirsch buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Tequila & Tacos: A Guide to Spirited Pairings by Katherine Cobbs buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Queer Cocktails: 50 Cocktail Recipes Celebrating Gay Icons and Queer Culture by Lewis Laney [Bookshop]
Drinks on the Lanai: Cocktails, Mocktails And Cheesecake Inspired By The Golden Girls by Elouise Anders [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Aviary: Summer Cocktails [The Aviary]
Give Me Liberty and Give Me a Drink!: 65 Cocktails to Protest America’s Most Outlandish Alcohol Laws by C. Jarrett Dieterle
Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand [Amazon][Bookshop]
Winter Drinks: Over 75 recipes to warm the spirits including hot drinks, fortifying toddies, party cocktails and mocktails [Amazon][Bookshop]
Bar L.M. by Lindsay Matteson [etsy]
How to Drink Like a Royal by Albert W. A. Schmid [Amazon][Bookshop]
Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm up Winter by Emma Stokes [Amazon][Bookshop]
Düngeonmeister: 75 Epic RPG Cocktail Recipes to Shake Up Your Campaign by Jef Aldrich, Jon Taylor [Amazon][Bookshop]
Drink Books Tied to Places
Distilled in Vermont: A History & Guide with Cocktail Recipes by Chris Maggiolo [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The United States of Cocktails: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions from All 50 States (and the District of Columbia) by Brian Bartels [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Behind Bars: High Class Cocktails Inspired by Low Life Gangsters by Vincent Pollard [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Spirits of Latin America: A Celebration of Culture & Cocktails, with 100 Recipes from Leyenda & Beyond by Ivy Mix
Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes by David Lebovitz
The Pikes Cocktail Book: Rock 'n' roll cocktails from one of the world's most iconic hotels by Dawn Hindle
Apotheke: Modern Medicinal Cocktails by Christopher Tierney, Erica Brod [Amazon][Bookshop]
Drink-Culture Related Books
The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
Behold! Here is my round-up of all the cocktails and spirits books (plus a few others) that were released in 2017. This year, beyond the annual deluge of whisky books, there are books aping the bartender lifestyle (Drink Like a Bartender, Straight Up), more narrative books (I Hear She's a Real Bitch, By the Smoke and the Smell), and recipe books seeking to simplify the process (3 Ingredient Cocktails, The Imbible, Road Soda) rather than reveal the secrets of complex drinks from top bars.
All in all, another great year for reading about drinking.
The links below are to Amazon.com and if you order from there I get a little percentage from the affiliate program. However if you want to be even more awesome, you can buy my book on the Gin & Tonic too!
Cocktail/Bartender Lifestyle Books
The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze by Jeff Cioletti
Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World's Most Spirited Mousers by Brad Thomas Parsons
The Art of the Bar Cart: Styling & Recipes by Vanessa Dina, Ashley Rose Conway
The Bar Cart Bible: Everything You Need to Stock Your Home Bar and Make Delicious Classic Cocktails
Drink Like a Bartender by Thea Engst and Lauren Vigdor
The Cocktail Competition Handbook by Andy Ives
Straight Up: Where to drink & what to drink on every continent by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley
Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan
History Books
Muskets and Applejack: Spirits, Soldiers, and the Civil War by Mark Will-Weber
B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S.: Bars And Saloons, Taverns And Random Drink Stories (Volume 1) by Brian F. Rea
Bay Area Cocktails: A History of Culture, Community and Craft by Shanna Farrell
Bumbershoots: Abridged by Dominic C Pennock
Single Cocktail Books
The Bloody Mary Book: Reinventing a Classic Cocktail by Ellen Brown
The Bloody Mary: The Lore and Legend of a Cocktail Classic, with Recipes for Brunch and Beyond by Brian Bartels
Gin Tonica: 40 recipes for Spanish-style gin and tonic cocktails by David T Smith
Whiskey and Whisky Books
Moonshine Mixology: 60 Recipes for Flavoring Spirits & Making Cocktails by Cory Straub
The Way of Whisky: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky by Dave Broom
The Bourbon Bartender: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the American Spirit by Jane Danger and Alla Lapushchik
Canadian Whisky, Second Edition: The New Portable Expert by Davin de Kergommeaux
Rum Books
The Curious Bartender's Rum Revolution by Tristan Stephenson
Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit by Fred Minnick
Spirit of the Cane by Jared McDaniel Brown and Anistatia Renard Miller
Other Spirits
Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit by Emma Janzen
AKVAVIT - Rediscovering a Nordic Spirit by Sune Risum-Urth and Rasmus Poulsgaard
Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Book of Bitters: The bitter and twisted history of one of the cocktail world’s most fascinating ingredients by Adam Elmegirab
Brand Books
Hennessy: A Toast to the World's Preeminent Spirit by Glenn O'Brien
Fever Tree: The Art of Mixing: Recipes from the world's leading bars by Fever Tree
Brewdog: Craft Beer for the People by Richard Taylor with James Watt and Martin Dickie
Recipe-Focussed Books
The Imbible: A Cocktail Guide for Beginning and Home Bartenders by Micah LeMon
Let's Get Monster Smashed: Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time by Jon Chaiet and Marc Chaiet
Code Name: Cocktail by Vicky Sweat & Karen McBurnie
The Modern Cocktail: Innovation + Flavour by Matt Whiley
Road Soda: Recipes and techniques for making great cocktails, anywhere by Kara Newman
The Poptail Manual: Over 90 Delicious Frozen Cocktails by Kathy Kordalis
The Cocktail Guide to the Galaxy: A Universe of Unique Cocktails from the Celebrated Doctor Who Bar by Andy Heidel
Cooking with Cocktails: 100 Spirited Recipes by Kristy Gardner
The Classic & Craft Cocktail Recipe Book: The Definitive Guide to Mixing Perfect Cocktails from Aviation to Zombie by Clair McLafferty
Boston Cocktails: Drunk & Told by Frederic Yarm
Beach Cocktails: Favorite Surfside Sips and Bar Snacks
A Spot at the Bar: Welcome to the Everleigh: The Art of Good Drinking in Three Hundred Recipes by Michael Madrusan and Zara Young
The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups, Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes; Includes Recipes for 45 One-of-a-Kind Mixed Drinks by Ellen Zachos
The Cocktail Hour (L’Heure du Cocktail): 224 recipes Collected by Marcel Requien Presented by Lucien Farnoux-Reynaud
3 Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon by Robert Simonson
Cocktail Chameleon by Mark Addison
Prosecco Cocktails: 40 tantalizing recipes for everyone's favourite sparkler by Laura Gladwin
New York Cocktails by Amanda Schuster
Good Together: Drink & Feast with Mr Lyan & Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana
Narrative Booze Books
The Angels' Share by James Markert
Breakfast Tea & Bourbon by Pete Bissonette
Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey by Troylyn Ball and Bret Witter
I Hear She's a Real Bitch by Jen Agg
By the Smoke and the Smell: My Search for the Rare and Sublime on the Spirits Trail by Thad Vogler
Wine Books
Note: I don't really cover wine books and these are just a few of them that came out this year. These are merely the ones that showed up in my mailbox.
The Complete Bordeaux by Stephen Brook
Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker
The Dirty Guide to Wine: Following Flavor from Ground to Glass by Alice Feiring
The New Wine Rules: A Genuinely Helpful Guide to Everything You Need to Know by Jon Bonne
Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region by Peter Liem
Beer and Cider Books
Note: Same as wine, this isn't my primary focus but here are a few books.
Best Beers: the indispensable guide to the world’s beers by Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont
Modern Cider: Simple Recipes to Make Your Own Ciders, Perries, Cysers, Shrubs, Fruit Wines, Vinegars, and More by Emma Christensen
Food, and Miscellaneous Related Books
Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating by Charles Spence
Miracle Cure: The Creation of Antibiotics and the Birth of Modern Medicine by William Rosen
Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World by Mitch Prinstein
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St Clair
Not Enough Books For Ya?
Here are all the books published in the last three years as well.
More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting
All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting
All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting
I was researching a few different topics and stumbled upon an interesting observation: Not only is Campari sold at a wide-ranging variation of alcohol percentage in different countries, the coloring used to make its signature red is different depending on the country.
As many people know, Campari was traditionally colored with cochineal, a scale insect native to South America that grows on the prickly pear cactus. (Cochineal is still used in many products today, as it is a natural coloring and doesn't need to be labelled as the unsightly 'artificial coloring'.)
In 2006 cochineal was discontinued – but as it turns out, not everywhere. In the United States and it seems most countries, Campari now uses artificial coloring. Depending on which country one is located in, that coloring must be declared in different ways, so what is merely "artificially colored" in the US is labelled as three specific coloring agents in one country, and none at all in others.
But in at least one country, cochineal is still used.
In the United States, Campari is sold at 24% ABV and the coloring is listed as "artificially colored."
In France, the ABV is 25% and the colorings are listed as E122, E102, and E133.
Next door in Spain, no special colors are labelled, but it's also sold at 25% ABV.
It appears it is the same in Argentina (with INS instead of E numbers), but the proof is 28.5%.
In Brazil it is the same, and labelled gluten-free.
In Toronto, it is sold at 25% and the color is merely misspelled (kidding!) as "colour."
In Australia, it is sold at 25% with no special color labelling.
In Malaysia it is the same – 25%, no color labelling.
In Japan, it appears to be sold at 25%. Anyone ready Japanese and can tell me if it says anything about coloring or eggs?
(One reader responds: "Red #102, Yellow #5, Blue #1. Don't see any mention of eggs.")
In Israel, it's sold at 25% ABV with E122, E102, and E133 listed as colorants.
In Iceland, it's sold at 21% ABV with no special color labelling.
Now here's where it gets really interesting.
I was wondering if the Swedish government website was merely out of date as it lists the coloring as E120 – that's cochineal(!), but a friend just picked up a bottle recently and cochineal is still in Campari in Sweden. Additionally, it is sold at 21% ABV.
Update: A twitterer sent me a pic of bottles from Mexico – they also have cochineal! See the E120:
And even more interesting is this bottle of Campari from Jamaica. Hold onto your butts:
CONTAINS EGG. Folks, that is some interesting news right there. Typically when eggs are used in wine, beer, and spirits (that aren't egg-based liqueurs), the eggs have been used in the fining process that helps filter the products to clarity. I think it's fair to assume this is how eggs are used in Campari.
My guess would be that because Jamaica has a Rastafarian community, many of which are vegans, products fined with eggs are required to be labelled.
What this means though, is that even though they took out the cochineal insect coloring (except in Sweden and Mexico apparently), Campari, at least in Jamaica, is still not vegan.
The question remains what it is in the rest of the world – I would bet that Campari is still not vegan.
Keep in mind that much cane sugar is whitened using bone charcoal, so any liqueur or sweetened alcohol has an okay chance of being non-vegan.
Thank you to my Facebook and Twitter friends from around the world who shared their bottle images. If you live in another country not mentioned here, please send me your bottle image to add to this discussion. Thanks!
I have a short piece in the new issue of Caviar Affair magazine describing the influence of Japanese bartending on the rest of the world.
The magazine also has lots of pricey booze recomendations, stories about port and cognac, and a few bartenders you may know.
The digital version of the magazine is at this link, and my Japanese bartending story is on page 39.
Here are some observations about bars in Japan from my trip with Suntory whiskies.
Thanks Japan, you are awesome!
On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit 21 bars by my count. I am talking about them in groups. Next up: The Rest of Them.
The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail bars, highball and standing bars, and pubs/clubs/dives. This is that last section.
Rippongi Nouen is actually a restaurant but it's notable because they serve highballs with flavors like ginger and rosemary.
The restaurant has big glass cubes in the back that have (or used to have, can't tell) herbs and vegetables growing in them.
The tasting menu had some great food. I think they picked this place not just for the drinks but for its vegetarian tasting menu.
(Everyone gets their personal smoking grill in one dish.)
One Shot Bar The Door (I'm not sure if it's called The Door or One Shot Bar) is located in Kyoto. I didn't see much of the bar downstairs as we were in a private room upstairs with our shoes off on with tatami mats having a great conversation. It has a short cocktail menu, mostly of classics. I ordered a Martini.
Three Martini Bar in Yokohama is full of good. The walls are lined with vintage whisky decanters and ice buckets and they were playing a soundtrack of yacht rock. Good vibes all around.
(Mmm, tequira.)
Our hosts gave us a few reasons why it's called Three Martini, but I only remember one of them. "Three" in German is spelled "dreit" as in "dry." In exchange, I told them that in America it might refer to the three-martini lunch or Dorothy Parker's "two at the most" rhyme.
Anyway, we ordered Moscow Mules and the three Martinis.
For bar snacks they had several options including fried sugar(!*!*!*!).
Eagle Bar in Shinjuku area of Tokyo looks like a speakeasy gentleman's club with patterned wallpaper, wooden walls, and carpeting. To enter you walk down a flight of stairs to find a room with the main bar. Walk down another flight of stairs (two storeys below the street) and there is another small bar room where we sat.
We sat at the bar. It has low barstools so your feet are touching the floor. While a couple to our right were working their way through the cocktail list, we stuck to highballs.
Bigri Bar is located in Golden Gai, the neighborhood of tiny bars I mentioned previously.
You enter in a set of incredibly steep stairs into a room that looks like a kitchen in a studio apartment.
I think this is what is called a "mama-san bar" as the owner is an older lady who serves drinks and also cooks you (not exactly good-looking) food from behind the same bar counter.
(Hand-knit cocktail coasters. Adorable.)
Track Bar is an uber-hipster bar that wasn't filled with hipsters at the time we visited. They have a wall of 33" records and a DJ spinning them. There were mason jars full of help-yourself snacks. But it still operated like a cocktail bar – you ask when you walk in the door if there is enough seating before entering.
It seems like a whisky bar but I saw cocktails being made as well. I ordered a highball, and their house style at this bar is to serve it in a frosted glass without ice.
On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit 21 bars by my count. I am talking about them in groups. Next up: Standing and Highball Bars.
The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail bars, highball and standing bars, and pubs/clubs/dives. As far as I can tell, highball bars are all standing bars but I'd imagine there are standing bars that don't specialize in highballs.
As you can guess, standing/highball bars are bars in which everyone is standing up drinking at tall tables rather than seated. They are popular after-work bars. Perhaps they're Japanese happy hour bars.
Anyway, in Kyoto we went to a bar called Getto, which is a pretty great name. The bar is as big as a hallway, with lots of traditional Japanese beverages. You stand up the whole time but are essentially leaning against the wall behind you.
There I tried aged awarami, a beverage from Okinawa that is aged in ceramic containers. It tastes like shochu for the most part. A little gamey but nothing special.
I also tried kokutojochu, which is sugar cane schochu fermented with rice mold. Basically, it's Batavia arrack and I wanted to see if it tasted the same. More or less! It was, as expected, completely disgusting, like fermented sweatsocks.
However, the cucumber was awesome.
Gindaka is a highball bar in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. It's basically a take-out restaurant with one window facing the street and another into a tiny room for standing customers. They have a tap that serves highballs of Yamazaki 10 and Suntory Whisky (a blended whisky sometimes called "koku" which means "box" as the bottle is short and squareish.)
(This is the neighborhood where Gindaka is located. Busy, to say the least.)
(Highballs on tap, with Suntory Premium Malts beer also on tap in the middle.)
(Koku bottle in ad.)
When they served us the Koku, it came with a lemon slice, served in a plastic mug. For the Yamazaki 10, they put it in a highball glass. And when we ordered a highball with Hakushu 10 they put it in the same glass with a tiny piece of mint on top. A nice little indicator that you've moved up in your drinking choice.
(First drink with Suntory Whisky.)
(Second highball, Yamazaki 10 in highball glass.)
(Hakushu 10 highball, with tiny mint garnish.)
Marugine, my hosts tell me, is the most famous highball bar in Japan. It's what I would call 'regular bar' sized, but with all tall communal tables for standing and eating or drinking.
As this was my sixth bar of the evening, I am a little hazy about any other details.
On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit 21 bars by my count. I am talking about them in groups. Next up: Cocktail Bars.
The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail bars, highball and standing bars, and pubs/clubs/dives. Many cocktail bars look pretty much like whisky bars, since so many bars carry a massive amount of scotch.
Bar High Five is run by Japan's most famous bartender, Hidetsugu Ueno (Ueno-san). It was voted one of the world's 50 best bars. It's a tiny little place located in a building full of bars.
It only seats about a dozen people at the bar, plus there is an additional booth that can hold about eight more people. The mood inside was great – people complain about the formality of Japanese bartenders but I've found that when you're sitting at the bar it's fine to chat and laugh and have a good time with them.
Unfortunately we were only here for one drink as we were a large group at that point and didn't feel like we should hog the whole place. Someday I will be back for longer!
(At least Ueno-san looks good in this picture.)
Tender Bar is owned by Japan's other most famous bartender, Kazuo Uyeda (Uyeda-san). This bar is classy and weighty and feels expensive; the Pegu Club to High Five's PDT.
Though I was tempted to order Uyeda's famous Gimlet, I opted for a Jack Rose that came out dry, as opposed to my bar-mate's surprisingly delicious bitters-free Manhattan.
Uyeda-san's wife was our host for the evening and her English was quite good. I had met them both in New York for a 2-day seminar on Japanese bartending.
Bar Orange, near Shibuya in Tokyo, is a nearly-hidden downstairs cocktail bar. It's dedicated to the movie Clockwork Orange though you'd not call it a theme bar. It's very sleek and dark and I'd imagine attracts a stylish young crowd. The cocktails are served in gorgeous vintage-looking glasses.
Ishi no hana was the most progressive bar we visited in Japan. It's run by bartender Shinobu Ishigaki, who won the Bacardi Grand Prix competition a few years ago with this drink:
(That is some serious garnish.)
I had an Apple Vinegar Martini, while my bar companion had a Yellow Chartreuse Mojito. Other ingredients on the menu include rhubarb confit, jasmine, saffron syrup, and earl grey tea.
The bartender Shinobu Ishigaki even has his face on a can of a green tea beverage called calpis sour.
While the Ginza bars of Tender Bar, High Five, and Star Bar get all the glory, visitors to Tokyo should definitely put this one on their list.
