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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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Beyond the Niche

The Next Decade of Organic Wine What comes to mind when considering organic wine? Perhaps the image of a small, meticulous estate producing limited quantities, or bottles quietly reserved for the devoted enthusiast. While this perception has long shaped the wine landscape, recent data reveals a profound evolution. From Boutique Vineyard to Global Presence A recent […]

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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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The Dawn of a New Era

The Stock Exchange of Thailand is considering lifting its long-standing ban on listing alcohol-related companies, signaling a shift in how industries historically categorized as “sin stocks” are perceived after more than two decades.

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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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Flowers on the Path

The Exquisite World of ‘Rojo Hana Ari Sazanka’ — A Junmai Sake Inspired by Zen In Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture—nestled in a serene basin separated from Kyoto by a single majestic mountain range—lies the birthplace of the Tamba Toji, one of Japan’s most renowned guilds of master sake brewers. Blessed with the piercing winter cold […]

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The Evolution of Sake: Beyond the 15% Tradition

Examine how lower-alcohol sake is reshaping a traditional 15–16% profile through new brewing choices, balance and changing drinking occasions.

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Champagne! 3. Fundamental Knowledge about Champagne: Origins and Production

Learn the essentials of Champagne: its protected origin, permitted grapes, production method and the factors that shape the finished wine.

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Champagne! 2. Vincent Charlot: A Biodynamic Approach in Champagne

A Mosaic of Terroirs Located in Mardeuil, near Epernay, in the Champagne area, the estate of Vincent Charlot is a mosaic of 39 different small plots, with diverse soils and exposures. To highlight the specific characteristics of each plot, he vinifies them separately. This approach leads to the production of various distinct cuvées, with quantities […]