Sales of single malt, bourbon, and Cognac have over the past year or so, but one category that has defied this trend and continues to grow is the (ready-to-drink) cocktail. One of the OGs of this world is On the Rocks, a company founded in 2015 by a group of bartenders and restaurateurs; Beam (now known as Suntory Global Spirits) acquired it just five years later. The latest release is a pair of Japanese-inspired drinks that was created in partnership with Hidetsugu Ueno, owner of Tokyo’s famous Bar High Five.
The new collaboration is called the Harmony Collection and it features two cocktails: a Yuzu Matcha Martini (20 percent ABV) and a Japanese Boulevardier (35 percent ABV). I got to try both drinks, and in my opinion the Martini is the lesser of the two. It’s made with Suntory’s Haku Vodka as the core component, which is distilled from 100 percent Japanese white rice, along with yuzu and matcha liqueurs. The drink is bright green and veers toward the sweeter side of the flavor spectrum, with notes of tart citrus and earthy green tea. The Japanese Boulevardier is the better of the two, made with a base of Toki Blended along with port wine and bitters (no Campari in the mix here), revealing a nicely balanced version of this classic drink—not too sweet, with just enough bitterness in the mix.
I had a chance to talk to Ueno about the partnership, and he said he was inspired to use yuzu and matcha as ingredients after meeting . “About two years ago, he came to my bar for Suntory’s 100th anniversary,” he said. “The very first drink he ordered was not whisky based, he wanted something with mezcal. I came up with a drink using yuzu, matcha, mezcal, and homemade yuzu bitters, and he really liked it.”
For the Boulevardier, Ueno used a local Japanese amaro and vermouth made from a sake base to combine with the whisky. “Toki is not as punchy as bourbon,” he said. “It’s easier to lose the flavor, so it’s all about proportions.” He also had some insight about what he thinks are the differing philosophies that Japanese and Western bartenders have about mixology. “If you use three different ingredients, the Western way is that you should taste three different things,” he said. “But the Japanese way is to create one flavor out of three ingredients, so balance is very important.”
You can see for yourself which philosophy these new RTDs adhere to, because the On The Rocks Harmony Collection is available to purchase now in select markets as a pack of two 375 ml bottles (SRP $30). You can snag the rest of the lineup at
Authors
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Jonah Flicker
Credit: robbreport.com
