Bar×Bar×Bar WATARASE： Challengeing to become the world's No.1 coffee cocktail maker.- Part I

Masanori Fujikura of Bar×Bar×Bar WATARASE (Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture) took on the challenge of competing in the world coffee cocktail competition, which he had longed to do.We caught up with Mr. Fujikura at the WCIGSC in Copenhagen in June of this year.

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi

Mr. Fujikura gives his presentation on the first day of the WCIGSC preliminary round.Four weeks before the competition, four different types of sake are decided," he said, "and from there, it was very tough to assemble a presentation in English, memorize all the content, and then go to ...... to do it in between sales.

He finally grasped top place and the chance to represent Japan in Coffee In Good Spirits Championship

The World Coffee In Good Spirits Championship (WCIGSC), launched by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), is a competition to determine the best original coffee cocktail.

Representatives from Europe, Central and South America, and Australia participate in this annual competition, which has been challenged not only by baristas but also by numerous bartenders.

In Japan, the JCIGSC (Japan Coffee In Good Spirits Championship) was held for the first time in 2013, and since then the winner of the Japanese competition has represented Japan in the WCIGSC.

The SCAE has sponsored seven specialty coffee competitions, including drip, espresso, siphon, and latte art, and has produced Japanese world champions in five of the seven competitions.

On the other hand, as for coffee cocktails, Yukari Suzuki, the 2018 Japanese representative, made it to the finals and was ranked 6th, the highest ever.The results were insufficient compared to other competitions.

While many baristas in the world barista competition use beans costing from ³,000 to ³,000 per 100g, Mr. Fujikura dared to use beans retailing around ³,000 per 100g in the finals of the national competition and in the qualifying rounds for the world competition.I assumed that I would still be able to compete in the top ranks," he said.

Representing Japan in the world competition this year was Masanori Fujikura, owner-bartender and barista at Bar x Bar x Bar WATARASE.

Mr. Fujikura is the first Japanese bartender to be selected as a finalist (top 8) in the 2016 Beefeater MIXLDN 2016 world competition, a global competition organized by Beefeater.

Then he began to study coffee and started challenging the JCIGSC in 2018, reaching the finals in four consecutive competitions starting in 2019, finishing as runner-up in the 2019 and 2020 competitions, and taking third place in the 2023 competition, making it three consecutive podium finishes.

This year, he finally won the JCIGSC championship and decided to represent Japan in the WCIGSC, which is his long-cherished dream.This year's WCIGSC was held over three days from June 27, with representatives from 23 countries competing.

The first day of the qualifying round was the "Spirit Bar.

Using the spirits from the dice roll, the contestants will create two coffee cocktails of one type within the competition time.

The second day of the preliminary round is "Stage Performance.

During the competition time, contestants will create two hot and two cold drinks, for a total of four alcoholic drinks made with coffee.

The top six scorers from the preliminary round will compete in the finals, where they will have 10 minutes to make two Irish coffees and two coffee-based alcohol drinks.

Let's begin with a report from Day 1 of the preliminary round.

Before the start of the preliminary round.Dice are rolled (left photo) to determine the spirits to be used in the cocktails (right photo).

First, each person will roll a dice before the start of the qualifying round.

Depending on the roll of the dice, they will create a cocktail using either cognac, colheita port, dark rum, or mandarin liqueur.

Once the spirits have been determined, after five minutes of preparation, the coffee will be brewed and two cocktails of each type will be made using the spirits listed above.

Within the competition time, you will have 6 minutes.At this time, a designated filter coffee grinder is used to extract the coffee.

In addition, the use of six different syrups from Orsa (apple, cardamom, elderflower, wild berry, orgeat, and sugar cane) was recommended.

The key point of the cocktail "Fermentation Powerhouse" presented here is "the good compatibility of fermented process coffee and Japanese fermented foods"
"Fermentation Powerhouse"
① Aeropress coffee 45g: The beans used were Frutta Mercadon Anaerobic Natural from Brazil
② Pierre Ferrand cognac 20ml:
③Tofu puree (using Orge Syrup) 20ml
④Dried plum puree (using Sugar Cane Syrup) 20ml
⑤Homemade fermented cacao malt 5ml
⑥Solti cardamom foam (using cardamom syrup) 1tsp (float)

These were poured into a faceted glass with ice. These were poured into a glass and served on a kimono scrap coaster.

Sake Bathtub, a hot cocktail served in a cypress bowl on the second day of qualifying.The bowl, which was made by Mr. Fujikura's father, is beautiful.

Mr. Fujikura prepared homemade secondary ingredients (③ to ⑤) so that any of the four designated spirits could be balanced and the flavor direction could be changed.

As for (6), the strategy was to change the flavor depending on the designated liquor, and cardamom was finally selected.

The "Stage Performance" followed on the second day of the preliminary round.

The "Stage Performance" spirits, announced four weeks prior to the competition, are Tequila or Mezcal.

Either must be used in the cocktail to be performed here.

After 10 minutes of preparation, the contestants will brew coffee within the 10-minute competition time frame, creating two each of cold and hot coffee cocktails.

Espresso should be used for one of these.

There are also designated models of grinders and espresso machines, which must be used.The practice time for the machines is only 30 minutes, which is given immediately before the competition.

Mr. Fujikura performing. This time, most of the competitors from other countries were baristas, and only two bartenders, Mr. Fujikura and the representative from Ukraine. Considering the hurdles involved in espresso extraction techniques and mastery of the designated machines, baristas may have a slight advantage.

The Cold Cocktail is inspired by Japanese home cooking.

Fermented coffees are commonplace in the coffee industry today, but some fermented coffees have flavors like soy sauce and miso.

This time, most of the competitors from other countries were baristas, and only two bartenders, Mr. Fujikura and the representative from Ukraine.

Considering the hurdles involved in espresso extraction techniques and mastery of the designated machines, baristas may have a problem.

"This was poured and served in ceramic cocktail glasses made by my father.

I had a background of having meals served on plates made by my father since I was a child, and the pottery he made was part of our home cooking"

"Umami Espresso Martini"
① 1/2 shot of espresso: The beans used were Brazilian Frutta Mercadon Anaerobic Natural
②30ml of Mirin (10 year old Mirin)
③10ml of Casca Wynn Anejo
④5ml of homemade fermented blueberry soy sauce
⑤10ml of Acid Solution
⑥ 15ml of homemade three-ounce sugar syrup
Garnish: Osmanthus
Pottery cocktail glass "Meanwhile, for the hot cocktail

”I used a Japanese cypress bath in a hot spring resort in Japan, and I used an expeller that I had been told was a Japanese sake.

The hot cocktail, on the other hand, represents the experience of drinking sake while soaking in a Japanese cypress bath in a hot spring resort in Japan.

The use of textured and highly viscous ingredients such as doburoku, dried persimmons, and kuzuyu (kuzu water) was intended to create a cocktail that warms the body.

The bowl with the aroma of cypress was made by my father.I poured a hot cocktail with a tantalizing texture into it”

"Sake Bathtub"
①Aeropress coffee 60g: I used Brazilian Golden Raisin Anaerobic Washed ②Nakano Shuzo Kunimori Junmai Doburoku 20ml
③Caskawin Anejo 10ml
④Dried persimmon & Awa BanchaPuree 20ml
⑤Koshu Orange Wine Syrup 10ml
⑥Kuzuyu 30g
⑦Hinoki Tincture 2dash
Garnish: Gold leaf, ears of rice
Vessels: Hinoki bowls are used and placed on three sides.
SmokeNinja is smoked inside the bowl.In my presentation,

I introduced the Japanese custom of saying "Itadakimasu" before a meal to express gratitude to the ingredients and producers.In the second part, we will discuss these cocktails, the judges' evaluation of the bartender-like presentation, and Mr. Fujikura's thoughts on how to conquer this competition.

Continue to Part 2.