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The Shifting Formality of Sake

Inside Thong Lo’s yoshibar For generations, sake has carried an air of reverence, often approached with a certain quiet seriousness. In Bangkok’s vibrant Thong Lo district, yoshibar gently unties this formality, offering a space where the beverage is woven seamlessly into the rhythm of modern everyday life. A Philosophy of Unpretentious ComfortThe sanctuary is curated […]

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The Architecture of Belonging

How Asia’s Bars Are Redefining the ‘Third Place’ At HOTELEX Shanghai in March 2026, the traditional exhibition booth felt like a relic of the past. In its place stood fully realized bar counters and intimate lounge spaces, built directly inside the hall. Rather than distributing catalogs, brands invited guests into curated worlds of light, sound, […]

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Umami in the Glass

The Fifth Taste in Cocktails, and Kouji’s Place Behind the Bar in 2026 For generations, the architecture of a cocktail relied on four pillars: sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and saltiness. Today, umami—the fifth taste—is quietly establishing itself as a defining element within the glass. According to a survey conducted in early 2026 by the U.S. drinks […]

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When Silence Takes Center Stage at Night

In April 2026, France 24 published an article titled “Listening bars blossom as the hottest new nightlife trend.” From New York and London to Paris and Bangkok, these rapidly multiplying venues across major global cities share a common DNA: vacuum tube amplifiers, large-format speakers, walls lined with analog records, united by a singular purpose: to listen to music. Their origin traces back nearly a century, to Tokyo.

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Rice as Vermouth

How a 148-Year-Old Kuma Shochu Distillery Crafted an Aperitif Through Subtraction When, at a bar in Bangkok, a vermouth bottle is pointed to with the words, “A martini—with gin and this,” the idea that what’s inside might be not European grapes but rice from Kyushu simply did not exist for a very long time. In […]

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Shochu Used to Be the “Odd Duck Out”

Reading a Self-Taught New York Mixologist’s Method Through a Shelf in Bangkok In New York, there is a self-taught mixologist who studies cocktails on his own while balancing work as a tour guide and life as a father. In a piece he contributed to an industry publication, he captured the reality surrounding shochu with striking […]

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Thirty Bartenders, Divergent Paths, a Shared Destination

A recent survey offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of mixology. In January 2026, the American drinks media outlet VinePair published an article posing the same question to 30 working bartenders: “What flavor will define the cocktail scene in 2026?” The answers were strikingly diverse—seaweed, cheese, pandan, bitter melon, condensed milk, fig leaf. But […]

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Why Kouji Is Emerging as a Key Ingredient in Cocktails

Beyond Sweetness and Acidity For a long time, cocktails have been built on a foundation of sweetness and acidity—the balance between sugary syrups, citrus tang, and the alcoholic backbone of spirits. These three elements have largely defined the structure of modern mixology. But in bars around the world in 2026, a new dimension is being embraced: umami. In a 2026 flavor trend survey conducted by U.S. beverage media outlet VinePair, which gathered insights from 30 prominent bartenders, koji-derived ingredients repeatedly surfaced. Amazake, miso, shio koji, yuzu kosho—these fermented elements are now being explored as foundational components in cocktail construction. Around the same time, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits highlighted the growing influence of Asian flavor profiles as a defining trend for the year.

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Zebra Striping

The Sophisticated 2026 Art of Alternating “Drinking” and “Not Drinking” Like the striking contrast of a zebra’s stripes In 2026, a quiet yet profound shift is gracing bar counters worldwide. An artisanal gin and tonic to begin, followed by a botanical zero-proof soda, and perhaps a refined glass of sake for the third—within a single soirée, […]

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Showcasing Japan’s Shochu and Sake at PUB & BAR ASIA 2024

From July 11th to 14th, 2024, the “PUB & BAR ASIA 2024” will be held at BITEC in Bangkok. This international trade fair is dedicated to Thailand’s pub, bar, and nightlife industries. The event aims to invigorate the pub and bar scene in Thailand and the ASEAN region, promoting networking with global exhibitors. A must-attend […]

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Omakase Boom in Thailand

From Sushi to Cocktails : The Evolution of Omakase in Thailand In recent years, “OMAKASE” (おまかせ) has been rapidly getting popular in Thailand, and was featured along with our bar (Salon du japonisant) in a Japanese economic newspaper. This article explains the booming “omakase” culture in Thailand. The term “Omakase” as it is in Japanese […]

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Exploring the Unique Fusion of Tradition and Innovation: Tsutsumi Shuzo’s Japanese Sake Vermouth

JAPANESE SAKE VERMOUTH is a sake-based liqueur, a unique drink that combines traditional European vermouth with Japanese characteristics. The use of unique Japanese ingredients such as Yomogi and Yuzu gives it a Japanese flavor and a refreshing aroma that sets it apart from traditional vermouth. This liqueur can also be used as an ingredient in […]