Don’t be fooled by the name: this stylish new bar in Ebisu is dedicated not to beer, but rather to cocktails made with premium shochu sourced from all over Japan. Draft Ebisu’s cocktail selection is overseen by the bartender of hip Kuramae watering hole Nomura Shoten, Soran Nomura, and its well-timed opening coincides with shochu’s growing international popularity.
Shochu as traditionally enjoyed (straight, or mixed with soda or hot water) isn’t listed on the menu here: the intention is to redefine perceptions of the base ingredient and the forms it can be given. This is ably achieved by Nomura’s lineup of eight shochu cocktails, and the intention is to expand this selection further. Certain cocktails are on-tap and ready-to-drink, an advantage that inspired the bar’s name. The fine shochu varieties used as cocktail bases can, nonetheless, be ordered as stand-alone tipples.
Highlights include the Japanese black tea and cream cheese cocktail, with hints of raspberries and Earl Grey with a cheese-y foam, and the spicy palo santo sour, which blends the toasty aroma of barley shochu with chai syrup and is served with a burning piece of wood.
The food menu comprises dishes that pair well with shochu, including oyster yakisoba. Sample these and other creations in this counter bar-style space that itself innovates upon Japanese tradition. There's also a private room, or head out to the terrace overlooking Ebisu Station.