Takumi Watanabe (bartender)

Takumi Watanabe (渡邉匠, Takumi Watanabe, May 15, 1972) is a Japanese bartender.[1] He has worked in the Sailing Bar in Sakurai Nara since 1994.[2] He is known for the cocktail Takumi's Aviation.

Takumi Watanabe (渡邉匠)
Born (1972-05-15) May 15, 1972 (age 52)
OccupationBartender

Life

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Watanabe was born in Gifu on May 25, 1972. After graduating from high school, he moved to Nara and majored in law. He worked for tuition in a bar and restaurant. At the time, he started to learn bartending. He has worked in The Sailing Bar since the bar opened in Sakurai since 1994. He was a brand ambassador for Taketsuru Japanese Pure Malt Whisky.[3]

Takumi's Aviation

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He created a version of the Aviation in Diageo World Class bartenders competition in Athens, Greece in 2010.[4] Gary "Gaz" Regan, cocktail historian, named the drink Takumi's Aviation.[5] In 2017, Regan contacted Takumi to ask about the recipe, and Takumi said that it substituted the crème de violette usually included in an aviation cocktail with Parfait d'Amour.[6] The Parfait d'Amour has more orange and vanilla notes than crème de violette, which is usually quite floral.[7] The drink was recorded in his book The Joy of Mixology.[8]

Cocktails

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  • Takumi's Aviation is an Aviation variant, recorded in Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology.
  • Red Thorn is a riff of Blackthorn, recorded in Jared Brown & Anistatia Miller's The Deans of Drink and Gary Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails, Volume III.[9]
  • Cove was recorded in Gary Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails Volume IV, made with Taketsuru Whisky. At the time, Watanabe was the brand ambassador.

References

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  1. ^ "トップバーテンダーが感じた「パーフェクト・カクテル」渡邉 匠さんに聞く". BAR TIMES STORE (in Japanese). 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  2. ^ Maggie Hiufu Wong (2015-05-02). "Are mixologists glorified bartenders or true drink masters?". CNN. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  3. ^ 劉奎麟 姜靜綺 (November 2021). The Japanese Cocktail : The Philosophy of Takumi Watanabe & Michito Kaneko (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taiwan. p. 204. ISBN 9786269538508. Retrieved 28 February 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ "TAKUMI'S AVIATION". STEVE THE COCKTAIL. 2020-01-12. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  5. ^ Gary Regan (2017-04-26). "Takumi's Aviation". LIQUOR.COM. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  6. ^ Simon Difford. "Takumi's Aviation". Difford‘s Guide. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. ^ Steve (12 January 2021). "Takumi's Aviation Cocktail Recipe". Steve the bartender. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Takumi's Aviation". Difford's Guide. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  9. ^ "Red Thorn". Difford's Guide. Retrieved 2022-04-25.