How to use kouji liqueur in cocktails?
Top bartenders prepare Mirin "Me" cocktails.
- Part 2 -

This month's theme is Mirin x Cocktail!How are Japanese bartenders using "koji liqueur," which seems to be spreading to overseas bars?

writer：Ryoko Kuraishi

Sweets and drinks served at the event in collaboration with "VERT," a restaurant specializing in dessert courses.The event theme was inspired by the favorites of Eiichi Shibusawa, who was sent as one of the delegates to the second Paris Exposition in 1867.

Authentic Mirin is updated in a modern way and branded as a liqueur.

The developer, Rintaro Kimura, envisioned a "revival of 'Yanagikage' (or 'Hon-naoshi' in Edo), which was said to have been drunk frequently in the Edo period.

According to him, the origin of this drink is said to be the addition of mirin to shochu, which was not very tasty, in order to improve its flavor (= "Naoshi"), but a cocktail, not to mention a martini as an example, is a drink that enhances the overall perfection of the drink by mixing secondary ingredients.

"If so, the "Yanagikage" is the oldest cocktail in Japan.

With this background, I really wanted it to be used in the modern bar scene.

Also, just by having mirin on the back bar, consumers' image of mirin will change drastically.We were also thinking of such an effect."

You can drink it as it is or pair it with a cocktail," says Waka, head bartender at "Tokyo Confidential".

He brought the freshly made "Me" to his childhood friend, bartender Junya Baba (Ofuna "BAR ANDALUSIAN" / PBO BARTENDER'S COMPETITION 2016 Best Bartender), who tasted it and said it could be used in bars.

With the endorsement, he started to promote the product to bars.

The three major liquor competitions "IWSC," "ISC," and "SFWSC" were used as stepping stones for this purpose.

He entered mirin in the liqueur category of the "IWSC," "ISC," and "SFWSC," hoping to prove to the world that mirin is a liqueur.As a result, Mirin won medals at both the IWSC and ISC, winning silver and bronze at the SFWSC.

In the midst of the Corona disaster, when it was difficult to serve alcohol in bars, Hiromi Takanashi of "Bar B&F" (currently owner-bartender of "BarTakanashi") was proactive in using "Me".

He began to use "Me" in mocktails after the alcohol was skimmed off by heating it.

This led to gradual recognition among bartenders.

This one, served at "Matcha-tei" at the Shiraiya Hotel in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, combines rice shochu and Japanese craft gin with "Me Unfiltered Nama Sake".

Revival of the "Yanagikage" cocktail from the Edo period

Last fall, a workshop for bartenders, pastry chefs, cookery researchers, and other leading creators in the food and beverage industry was held at the Toshimaya Brewery in Higashimurayama, where the product is manufactured.

Bartenders experienced part of the "Me" production process and participated in a master class to learn about the history of mirin and the background of its creation.

The bartenders also took part in a master class where they learned about the history and background of mirin.

Bartenders are using and proposing various ways to use the drink, and I am learning a lot from them.

Recently, when Tetsuta Miyanoue of Bar RENRi held a sushi and bar collaboration event, he served a cocktail that combined "Jojishima" (barley shochu) and "Me," which was very good and left a lasting impression.

The "Flavored Tea with Strawberry and Me Unfiltered Nama Sake" is served at "bar cacoi" (Higashi ginza).This hot cocktail is made by pouring a little brandy and flavored tea into "Me" to which the extract of strawberries has been transferred.You can enjoy the harmony of the gorgeous aroma and the sweetness of the fruit.

The future goals are to increase production and establish a stable supply system, and to promote the modern "Yanagikage" (1:1 shochu:1 mirin) by letting people know the various ways to drink "Me.

The goal is for "Me" to be served at Japanese restaurants, sushi restaurants, kappo restaurants, etc., as a matter of course.

Meanwhile, he is also eyeing the overseas market, as kouji is booming.Currently, exports to Singapore, Australia, and the U.K. have just begun, and it is expected to attract particular attention in the overseas bar scene.

At a popular bar in Singapore, the word "kouji" is on the menu as a matter of course, and it seems to have penetrated among the drinkers.
Just the fact that it is a malt liqueur is catchy, and we have received feedback from local bartenders that it is easy to use."

Mirin is a common sight on the back bar of bars overseas....In the not-too-distant future, we are likely to see such a scene.

Participants during the workshop.