Single Malt, Bourbon and Cognac sales have whispered In the past year, but a category that has challenged this trend and continues to grow is the RTD (ready to drink) Cocktail. One of the OGs of this world is on The Rocks, a company founded in 2015 by a group of barmans and restaurateurs; Beam Turning point (now known as Suntory Global Spirits) acquired it five years later. The latest version is a pair of Japanese -inspired drinks that have been created in partnership with Hidetsugu Ueno, owner of the famous High Five bar in Tokyo.
The new collaboration is called The Harmony Collection and it presents two cocktails: a Yuzu Matcha Martini (20% ABV) and a Japanese boulevard (35% ABV). I was able to try the two drinks, and in my opinion, the Martini is the least of the two. It is made with Suntory's vodka haku as a central component, which is 100% distilled from Japanese white rice, as well as Yuzu and Matcha liqueurs. The drink is bright green and turns to the sweetest side of the flavor spectrum, with notes of tangy citrus and earthy green tea. The Japanese boulevardier is the best of both, made with a mixed toki base Japanese whiskey With Port Wine and Bitters (no campaid in the mixture here), revealing a well -balanced version of this classic drink – not too sweet, with just enough bitterness in the mixture.
I had the chance to talk to Ueno of the partnership, and he said that he had been inspired to use Yuzu and Matcha as ingredients after meeting Keanu Reeves. “About two years ago, he came to the bar for Sunntory's 100th anniversary,” he said. “The very first drink he ordered was not based on whiskey, he wanted something with Mezcal. I found a drink with Yuzu, Matcha, Mezcal and Yuzu homemade, and he really liked.”
For the boulevardier, Ueno used a local Amaro Japanese and a vermouth made from a sake base to combine with whiskey. “Toki is not as impactful as bourbon,” he said. “It is easier to lose the flavor, so it's all about proportions.” He also had a glimpse of what he thinks is the different philosophies that Japanese and Western barmans have on mixology. “If you use three different ingredients, the western way is that you have to taste three different things,” he said. “But the Japanese way is to create a flavor in three ingredients, so the balance is very important.”
You can see for yourself what philosophy these new RTDs adhere to, because the Harmony Rocks collection is available for purchase now in certain markets as a pack of two bottles of 375 ml (SRP $ 30). You can hang the rest of the programming at Reserve bar.
