Way of the Cocktail : Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • A rich, transportive guide to the world of Japanese cocktails from acclaimed bartender Julia Momosé of Kumiko

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Boston Globe • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Vanity Fair, Food52, Wired • “A love letter to the art of preparing a drink.”—Vanity Fair

With its studious devotion to tradition, craftsmanship, and hospitality, Japanese cocktail culture is an art form treated with reverence. In this essential guide, Japanese American bartender Julia Momosé of Kumiko and Kikkō in Chicago takes us on a journey into this realm. She educates and inspires while breaking down master techniques and delving into the soul of the culture: the traditions and philosophy, the tools and the spirits—and the complex layering of these elements that makes this approach so significant.
 
The recipes are inspired by the twenty-four micro-seasons that define the flow of life in Japan. Enter a world where the spiced woodsy cocktail called Autumn’s Jacket evokes the smoldering burn of smoking rice fields in fall, and where the Delicate Refusal tells the tale of spring’s tragic beauty, with tequila blanco and a flutter of sakura petals. Perfected classics like the Manhattan and Negroni, riffs on some of Japan’s most beloved cocktails like the Whisky Highball, and even alcohol-free drinks influenced by ingredients such as yuzu, matcha, and umé round out the collection.

Born and raised in Japan, Julia Momosé has infused the sensibilities of Japanese bartending culture into every cocktail program she has contributed to, from the Michelin-starred GreenRiver and its companion lounge, The Annex, to Oriole, a two-Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in Chicago. She then opened her own bar, the acclaimed Kumiko, an intimate Japanese drinking experience in Chicago, followed by the omakasé counter Kikkō, which earned a Michelin star. She lives in Chicago with her husband, fellow bartender Sammy Faze, in a household of plants.
 
Emma Janzen is a journalist, editor, and photographer specializing in all things drinks and design. Her first book, Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World’s Ultimate Artisanal Spirit, was nominated for a James Beard Award. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two tuxedo cats.