10/30/2023 0 Comments Katana kitten bar new york![]() He used a small brush to coat one side of the rim with a thick layer of nikiri-joyu “paint,” a blend of savory tamari and soy sauce fortified with sake, mirin, kombu and bonito flakes bolstered by two barspoons of Ultra-Sperse, a thickening agent derived from tapioca starch. The highball construction remained the same, topping the spirit with chilled soda water, but the final flourish was Urushido’s inventive take on a Margarita’s salted rim. The base of the drink was Glenfiddich 12-year single malt that had been briefly infused with dried bonito flakes, imparting a distinctive smoky, savory flavor to the whisky. This Tsukiji Highball, named after the historic Tokyo fish market, was only served once at Katana Kitten for a private event, and the divisive drink proved to be a love-it-or-hate-it affair. “At first, the Melon-Lime Soda is a punch in the face that delivers the most vivid flavor, but as the ice melts, the undertones of lime flavor are introduced by the end you’ve experienced all of the intended balance of the flavors.”Ī simple Scotch & Soda served as the inspiration for a savory highball whose seemingly austere profile packs an umami punch. “At Katana Kitten, we drive home that the first sip should always hit you and leave an impression,” says Urushido. Lime peels come into play in the housemade matcha-lime cordial, which counterbalances the sugar and amps up the bright aroma of the drink. The inherent sweetness of the drink is cut with fresh lime juice and tart Japanese sudachi (another citrus fruit). The drink’s split base of a full ounce each of Absolut Lime and Midori-two ingredients you don’t usually find in a craft cocktail bar-might cause a stir with some bartenders, but Urushido is undeterred. ![]() “Vodka, shitty ice, soda water from the gun, and a lime wedge.” But Urushido’s reinterpretation took a turn in a new direction with the addition of a certain disco-era Japanese melon liqueur. “Vodka Lime Soda, over and over,” he recalls, drawing on muscle memory to mimic making the drink with his eyes closed. The idea for the drink originated at one of the first bars Urushido worked at in New York: Kingswood, the now-closed high-volume bar in Greenwich Village where he fielded countless requests for vodka sodas. ![]() The neon green Melon-Lime Soda, a mashup of the vodka soda with lime and the Midori Sour, stands alongside the house Toki Highball and the fragrant Shiso Gin & Tonic as a top-selling highball at Katana Kitten. That extends to Katana’s inventive approach to highballs. The name-a mashup of the austere beauty and tradition of a samurai sword and the playful nature of an adorably curious little cat-is the perfect encapsulation of the bar, where a team of skilled bartenders comes together for a nightly house party set among Japanese movie posters and a soundtrack of ’80s hits. Urushido, known by most simply as “Masa,” is a managing partner, head bartender and “director of deliciousness” at the award-winning Japanese American bar Katana Kitten in New York’s West Village. “But what are you complaining about? It tastes like a highball.” It depends what you expect and what you pay for it,” says Urushido. “I don’t think it’s possible to have a bad highball in Japan. In Japan, the highball is a working-class drink that, while democratic in its appeal, usually displays care and consideration-even lifelong dedication-in its construction. He pictures a long, tall, cold glass filled with stacked ice, whisky and highly carbonated soda water. ![]() According to Sansom, The Connaught’s director of mixology, Agostino Perrone, and his team have “modernized” their cocktail.When Masahiro Urushido considers a highball, the first thing that matters is how it looks. Each drink is personalized for patrons eager to sip it in the room's Cubist-inspired interiors. Prepared from a traveling trolley by a white-gloved server, it’s made with the bar’s own gin and specialized bitters (they grow their own lavender!). What gave The Connaught the number one spot twice in a row? Their martini. “Connaught Bar, we salute you-to be named The World’s Best Bar for two consecutive years is a feat that previously only two bars have achieved in the awards’ 13-year history,” Mark Sansom, Content Editor for The World’s 50 Best Bars association, said in a statement. It’s the second time in two years that the bar has taken home the honor. The London lounge won the prestigious distinction, which is voted on by a group of 600 industry experts, at an awards ceremony in its home city. Of all the watering holes in all the cities and towns, there is one that can officially call itself the best bar in the world: The Connaught.
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