From "enwonder" by a bartender and art director:
A new black sugar shochu-based liqueur born on Amami Oshima. - Part 1 -

As bartenders' creative endeavors diversify and evolve, yet another new team emerges! The creative unit "enwonder," formed by a bartender and an art director, aims to explore playful dining experiences. We report on the story behind the birth of their first product: a premium liqueur born from Amami Oshima's black sugar shochu.

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi

No.01 Coffee ¥7,700 and No.02 Botanical ¥6,600. Enjoy them straight first, then add ice or soda to taste. For Coffee, try it with milk. Of course, they make great cocktails too!

enwonder is a creative unit comprising art director Yusuke Mori, Tatsuya Uesugi who directs drinks as a "mixologist," and bartender Kazuya Nishimura.

Mori is based in Tokyo, Uesugi in Kyoto, and Nishimura in Nozawa Onsen, each working from different locations.

"Uesugi, who is also a sommelier and built his career in hotel bars; Nishimura, an experienced bartender; and myself, overseeing all creative aspects as the art director—we leverage our respective strengths and divide roles accordingly.

"It's precisely because our areas of expertise and bases are different that we stimulate each other and function well. That's the strength of 'enwonder'," says Mori.

Formed under the theme "Playful Food Culture!", enwonder aims to explore playful dining experiences.

Partnering with apparel brands, food manufacturers, and commercial facilities, they have handled a wide range of projects from concept creation to menu development and spatial design.

Mr. Mori and Mr. Uesugi's experiential presentation combining drinks and art at the Setouchi International Art Festival.

The premium liqueurs "No.01 Coffee" and "No.02 Botanical," developed as original products originating from the unit, launched on October 1st.

Both use Tomita Shuzojo's "Ryugu" as their base spirit. This kurotori shochu is made using Okinawan brown sugar and domestic rice koji, fermented in traditional large clay pots.

Other ingredients were also sourced through encounters with producers on Amami Oshima. We asked about the background of their development.

"Black sugar shochu is uniquely produced only in the Amami Islands, encapsulating the region's climate and charm.

Though shochu was unfamiliar to us before, visiting distilleries and learning about Kurotori shochu's history and culture from the makers completely changed our perception of shochu.

Witnessing the traditional methods that connect shochu-making history from the past to the future up close, I became inspired to introduce these stories and the appeal of brown sugar shochu in a new way—that's the background behind this development," says Mr. Nishimura.

Mr. Uesugi, who utilizes his skills and experience as a bartender to create a variety of drinks as a mixologist.

The "Ryugu" we tasted on Amami Oshima left a vivid impression on all three of us.

"That roasted nutty aroma, a nostalgic sweetness, and such a clean finish. I never knew shochu made from brown sugar could be this delicious.

Yet I heard that in its place of origin, it's strongly associated with being 'hot water mixed with shochu for middle-aged and older people,' and its appeal isn't reaching the next generation." (Uesugi)

Faced with this challenge for brown sugar shochu, the premium liqueurs "No.01 Coffee" and "No.02 Botanical" were created to convey its appeal to those in their 20s and 30s.

Left: Base Spirits' "Ryugu". Right: The tangerines cultivated at Misato Farm, which harnesses the temperature variations of the mountainous region, boast an exceptional balance of tartness and sweetness! They are one of the essential key botanicals for "Botanical."

"Coffee" features coffee cherries and beans from Amami Oshima, pot-stirred brown sugar, kashā (Kumata-ran leaves), a representative medicinal herb of the island, vanilla, and raw sugar from Kikaijima.

"Botanical" infuses the base spirit with locally grown lemon leaves, kashya (Kumata-ran leaves), vanilla, and tangerine syrup.

All ingredients except vanilla are sourced from the Amami Islands.

By blending fresh Amami ingredients, we crafted a unique liqueur that highlights the charm of its base spirit, "Ryugu".

While ingredient hunting on Amami Oshima often involved solo efforts, it was precisely because this trio each specialized in different areas that an unconventional recipe emerged.

Coffee cherries from Sakae Farm, cultivated without pesticides in the jungles of Amami Oshima. Each cherry is handpicked, yielding a robust flavor bursting with wild character.

"What's fascinating is that once I arrived on-site, I kept connecting with amazing producers one after another. I truly felt guided by Amami's connections (en)." (Mr. Uesugi)

"Initially, we planned to use imported coffee cherries and beans for development. But then I connected with producers who naturally cultivate and hand-pick coffee cherries in Amami's jungles.

When we tasted it, the flavor was robust with a deep, lingering finish—it was explosively delicious. Even though it's costly, we absolutely wanted to use these coffee beans.

Vanilla cultivation has also started on the island, and we plan to eventually switch to using only locally grown ingredients." (Mr. Nishimura)

Each ingredient is meticulously crafted by producers investing significant time and effort. The recipes were developed with the intention of highlighting their quality and reflecting Amami's unique terroir.

In the second part, we'll cover the tasting event held in Tokyo and future developments for the liqueur.

To be continued in Part 2.