Water of life: Tokyo whiskey buffs lap it up for Tohoku relief
Bar S, where anyone reading this caption will know to ask on the night of the event for a shot of the very special 22-year-old Yamazaki.Lest anyone berate us for encouraging folk to hit the bottle in the name of disaster relief, may we at least point out that heavy drinking isn’t a requisite at the latest Tokyo booze-athon -- just a nose for the finer things and a generous inclination.
Still, the Whisky For Tohoku event on May 5 just sounds so enticing, it’ll be a major surprise if there isn’t just a little over-indulging on the night.
Access to some pretty damn exclusive bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society tends to have that effect on the discerning man (and woman) about town.
Secret bar
So, if you’re in Tokyo for Golden Week and want to check out both the good stuff and a usually exclusive bar, then head for the University of Tokyo and its hidden bar, S -- one of the best-kept secrets on the capital’s drinking scene.
Organizer, booze writer Nicholas Coldicott, explains: “The drinks will be from the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society, which bottles exceptional single-cask whiskies and usually sells only to its members.
“On a normal night, you'll pay around ¥1,600 to ¥2,400 for a shot, but for this event, everything will be ¥1,000 and ¥500 of that will go to Tohoku relief.”
Win, win, whiskey
Enthusiastic as ever, Coldicott continues: “Here's the deal -- they sell us shots of their rare single-cask whiskies at up to half the normal price, and 50 percent of the takings, plus the cover charge, go to Tohoku. Win win.”
The cash goes straight to SHARE, a charity sending medical aid to the northeast. As Coldicott says, “Just watch this short video about the work they do and then come have a drink.”
