THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO, a bar where you can experience the unique characteristics and diverse ways of enjoying whiskey, opens on August 7th

Asahi Breweries, Ltd. July 25, 2024 10:00

Enjoy cocktails made in collaboration with 13 of Japan's top bars active around the world

Asahi Breweries, Ltd. (Head office: Tokyo, President: Kazuo Matsuyama) and Nikka Whisky Co., Ltd. (Head office: Tokyo, President: Kazutomo Tamesada) will open the official Nikka Whisky bar, "THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO," in the Omotesando area from August 7 to December 25. Through cocktails, we will propose the unique charm of Nikka Whisky and various ways to enjoy whiskey.

"THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO" is a flagship bar where you can experience Nikka Whisky's new communication concept, "whisky that enjoys living." The bar will have two bar areas, "The Lounge -MEET-" and "The Bar -EXPLORE-," and will also have a merchandise area, "The Shop -ENRICH-," where we will propose to customers the rich individuality and diverse ways to enjoy whiskey.

■Bar area

The Lounge -MEET- is a bar area with a concept of "neo-classic" aimed at people who are not familiar with whiskey, bars, and cocktails, and for young people. We named it "MEET" with the hope that people will enjoy cocktails casually and "discover" the charm and diverse ways of enjoying whiskey. We use Nikka Whisky products to serve classic cocktails found in bars overseas.

You can enjoy easy-to-drink, playful cocktails such as the "Old Fashioned" based on "Single Malt Yoichi" and smoked with cherry blossom chips, the "Espresso Martini" based on "Nikka Cafe Grain" and coffee liqueur, and the "Clover Club" based on "Nikka Cafe Gin" and raspberry puree and whipped egg white.

The Bar -EXPLORE- is a bar area with a concept of "innovation" aimed at people who already love whiskey and people who are familiar with cocktails. We named it "EXPLORE" with the hope that people will "explore" the depth and new appeal of whiskey. We will be serving original cocktails in collaboration with 13 top bars in Japan.

These original cocktails are unique arrangements of classic cocktails also served at "The Lounge -MEET-" with more elaborate recipes. You can enjoy creative cocktails such as "Perfect Nikka", an Old Fashioned arranged using aromatic perfume distilled from coffee and cocoa liqueur based on "Nikka Cafe Grain", "Cafe con Celz", an espresso martini arranged using espresso and soda based on "Nikka Cafe Grain", and "Clover Club Punch", an arrangement of Clover Club based on "Nikka Cafe Gin" with Sichuan pepper, milk, pineapple, etc. Also available is "Purple Rain Highball", an original cocktail supervised by bartender Stanislav, Nikka Whisky's European ambassador, a pale purple highball based on "Nikka Session" and made with butterfly pea tea.

■Merchandise area

"The Shop –ENRICH–" is an area where miscellaneous goods such as T-shirts, tote bags, caps, and flasks with Nikka Whisky emblems and logos are sold. We named it "ENRICH" in the hope that customers will take home the feeling and aftertaste of "enjoying life" that they gained through their experience at our shop and make their daily lives more "enriching". We have developed 16 types of miscellaneous goods with playful and sophisticated designs that embody "enjoying life".

Nikka Whisky has formulated a new communication concept, "Whiskey that Enjoys Life," to celebrate its 90th anniversary. According to our survey, more than 90% of domestic whiskey users enjoy whiskey on the rocks, with water, or as a highball when they usually drink whiskey. On the other hand, in Europe and the United States, the culture of cocktails using whiskey has spread overseas, and many customers can be seen enjoying whiskey through a variety of cocktails. Our wish is for customers to "enjoy life itself through whisky," and from this flagship bar we will communicate to customers the unique appeal of Nikka Whisky and the diverse ways to enjoy whisky.

The global whisky market is expanding year by year, with the growth of high-priced whisky being particularly notable. Nikka Whisky's Western liquor business has grown to about twice the size it was 10 years ago in 2013. In order to ensure a stable supply of domestic whisky, which is in high demand, Nikka Whisky will invest approximately 6 billion yen in equipment this year to build a new barrel storage facility at the Tochigi Plant, as well as begin designing new storage facilities and purchasing barrels at the Yoichi and Miyagikyo Distilleries. To date, Nikka Whisky has spent approximately 6 billion yen from 2015 to 2017 and approximately 6.5 billion yen from 2019 to 2021 to strengthen its production system. Nikka Whisky will continue to invest in equipment and propose various ways to enjoy whisky, and in the future, aim to enter the global top 10 (※2) in the premium whisky and above (※1) category.
*1: Whisky with an average retail price of 2,000 yen (700ml) or more in Japan
*2: Nikka Whisky's premium and above brands, with sales volume equivalent to being in the top 10 globally for a single whisky brand

■Main cocktails at "The Lounge -MEET-"

"Old Fashioned" 1,600 yen (tax included)

"Espresso Martini" 1,200 yen (tax included)

"Clover Club" 1,500 yen (tax included)

■Main cocktails at "The Bar -EXPLORE-"

[Facility Overview]

• Name: THE NIKKA WHISKY TOKYO
• Address: 1F, 3-5-27 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku (approx. 1 minute from Omotesando Station)
• Telephone number: 0120-5115-90
• Business period: August 7th to December 25th
• Hours: Mon-Fri: 17:00-23:30, Sat-Sun-Holidays: 14:00-23:30
• Number of seats: 55 seats in total (The Lounge -MEET-: 36 seats, The Bar -EXPLORE-: 19 seats)
• URL: https://www.nikka.com/thenikkawhiskytokyo/