Bartenders in Japan are world famous. Known for their perfect blend of bar-art excellence and etiquettes they are a thrill to watch as they make the drinks. Not only this Japanese bartender always has this in his/her mind that it’s their duty to ease the worries and soothe the souls of troubled customers, if they ever come to them. For the Japanese bartenders making cocktails is like doing chemistry experiments, faced with the precision of their measurements. But it’s more than precision; they are masters of their arcane mysteries and insouciant enough to discuss proper gin viscosity, the merits of shaking to cha cha cha or samba rhythms or the correct bitters for mango-infused grappa.
It’s the presentation which makes the mark. The bartenders make your drinks not only a thing to doze off, but a magical experience of rejoicing its rich taste. The entire bartending is considered as the “Tea ceremony” by the bartender. Where hospitality, Friendliness, warmth and the sheer joy of enjoying your drink is considered the best thing in the world. His brief is to provide an elegant and ritual pause, a retreat, if not an escape, from a world which is not always entirely satisfactory. In Japan, you pay for the drink, of course, but for its context as much as its content. Martinis can be made in jam jars and slurped lukewarm as you lie on the kitchen floor in your underwear. And, depending on how your life is going at any given time that may not be a bad way to proceed. It is not, however, the experience the Japanese barman attempts to recreate.