FUGLEN TOKYO: From Tokyo to Seoul and Jakarta!
Two-way style of Cocktails and coffee are taking Asia by storm.
- Part 2 -

The number of annual visitors to Japan reached an all-time high!In December, looking back on the year 2024, "FUGLEN TOKYO," loved by people of all nationalities and ages, makes a return appearance for the first time in 10 years!In the second part, we will look into the profile of the head bartender, Mr. Seiji Ogiwara.

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi　写真：Midori Yamashita

Ogihara says he likes to think about how to combine ingredients, and he often refers to chefs and cooks for their use of ingredients when creating these cocktail recipes. She is always impressed by how chefs at her favorite restaurants prepare and combine ingredients in a way that brings out the texture, flavor, and aroma of each ingredient.

Seiji Ogiwara, who has a wonderful balance between a soft-spoken atmosphere and spicy cocktail making, actually comes from a barista background.

In his previous job, he worked as a barista at a famous cafe in Shibuya that had both a coffee stand and a diner.

One of his colleagues at the time was also a bartender at "FUGLEN TOKYO," and he always had cocktails there after work.

Eventually, he began visiting Ishinohana in the same Shibuya area, which opened his eyes to cocktails.

He became interested in bartending itself and joined "FUGLEN TOKYO" to become a bartender.

Homemade maraschino cherries, apple compote, fresh shiso leaves and spices.These accents are an essential part of the cocktails at FUGLEN TOKYO.

The interesting thing about "FUGLEN TOKYO" from a bartender's point of view.

I joined "FUGLEN TOKYO" because coffee cocktails were just starting to become popular and I thought I could use my barista career to learn cocktails.

At the time, there was no other restaurant that focused on both coffee and cocktails."

Because I wanted to learn authentic bartending, I also took classic cocktail training at "The Bar Kusama GINZA".I wanted to learn authentic bartending, so I went to The Bar Kusama GINZA for classic cocktails.

It was a great experience for him to learn the basics of cocktails, including the famous gimlet, at the pinnacle of authentic bars.

About a year after he joined the bar, he had the opportunity to receive training in Oslo by the bar team in his home country.

I will never forget being taken to HIMKOK by the staff at the main bar.HIMKOK is a regular on "The World's 50 Best Bars" list and a leading bar in Oslo's cocktail scene.

The "OISHISO," a combination of the words "delicious" and "shiso," has been a popular cocktail since the opening of the restaurant, made with Hendricks Gin and accented with a homemade ginger syrup.Finish with a dash of absinthe.$1230

The atmosphere is like a big tobacco club, but the service is attentive and friendly."The atmosphere is like a big tobacco club, yet the service is attentive and friendly, and the cocktails are of high quality.

Now there are bars like HIMKOK in Tokyo, where you can enjoy the bartender's performance and savor original cocktails that combine mixology and classics, but back then there were only authentic or casual bars.But at the time, there were only authentic or casual bars.
I was shocked that such a style existed."

"As a bar with its main branch in Oslo and a branch in Tokyo, we would like to further enhance the perfection of the fusion of the Oslo mood and Japanese spirits and ingredients, and to provide content that can only be enjoyed here," says Ogiwara.We would like to further perfect the fusion of Oslo's mood and uniquely Japanese spirits and ingredients, and to present content that can only be enjoyed here.

Cocktails such as the "OISHISO," which uses fresh shiso leaves, are accented with uniquely Japanese ingredients and nuances not found on menus in Japan.

FUGLEN TOKYO is known for its coffee cocktails.When asked for a recommendation other than the "ESPRESSO MARTINI," the "BLACK ROSE" appeared.The "BLACK ROSE" appeared on the table.The base spirit is Demerara Rum, to which is added homemade vanilla syrup that emphasizes the vanilla nuance typical of Demerara Rum.

Leaving Tokyo for Asian cities.

For the bar team led by Mr. Ogiwara, who is in his fifth year as bar manager, this year has been a big challenge.

FUGLEN SEOUL opened at the end of October, followed by FUGLEN JAKARTA in November.
Mr. Ogiwara was responsible for overseeing bar time and developing bar menus for the two new restaurants.

The bar menus are based on FUGLEN TOKYO, but each location incorporates spirits from that country.

In the future, we would also like to develop original recipes using seasonal ingredients from that country.

Making cocktails with local staff at the newly opened FUGLEN SEOUL.

Both Seoul and Jakarta are cities with a growing presence in the global specialty coffee scene.

As the coffee cocktail scene expands, attention to coffee cocktails is increasing dramatically, with Korea winning the "World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion 2024" and Indonesia placing 4th.The city is becoming an up-and-coming city for baristas and bartenders.

In such Asian countries, "FUGLEN TOKYO" and Mr. Ogihara will create a new place for coffee and cocktails.