INTRO
In episode 73 our host Stephen Lyman visits Aloha Whisky Bar in the Ikebukuro neighborhood of Tokyo. He and owner David Tsujimoto talk whisky discovery, the journey to bar ownership, and the state of Japanese whisky in 2024.
CREDITS
Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)
Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://uncannyjapan.com/)
HOSTS
CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before.
STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.
Stephen and Christopher love fine whiskies regardless of where they are made, but authenticity is a key aspect. They first visited Aloha Whisky together during the pandemic and it is now their preferred whisky bar in Tokyo.
If you have any comments or questions about this episode, please reach out to Stephen via Twitter or Instagram @JapanDistilled. We would love to hear from you.
SHOW NOTES
What is Aloha Whisky Bar?
Special Guest David Tsujimoto
David is a Hawaiian of Japanese decent who followed a girl to Japan and never left. In 2017 he fell in love with Japanese whisky through a bottle of Hakushu 12 and has never looked back. In 2019, he decided his 1,500 bottle whisky collection needed to be shared with friends so he opened Aloha Whisky. There was such a deep need for this kind of casual, friendly whisky by in Tokyo that in 2020 Aloha Whisky was named Bar of the Year by Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky awards.
To follow him on social, search for Aloha Whisky on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (Stephen’s still locked out so not linking to that one).
Today David’s bar has become one of the top meeting places for Japanese whisky lovers in Tokyo. His regular customers include whisky curious Japanese, fanatical expats including Mac Salman from Kanpai Planet and Whisky Rising author Stefan VanEycken, and others. His irregular customers are foreign travelers who discovered him on Instagram and just had to try what he’s offering. A truly amazing experience.
On my first visit back in 2021, I was fortunate enough to try a birth year Ben Nevis grain whisky, a 20 year old Springbank, a Springbank local barley, and a single cask bottling from Chichibu.
No pretension. Reasonable prices. Hawaiian hospitality. It’s a wonderful place to have a dram or 4.
The State of Japanese Whisky in 2024
As I sit here sipping on the last dram from a bottle of Kirin’s Fuji Sanroku signature blended whisky, I am thinking about the discussions I have had over the past month or so with David, Mac, Stefan VanEycken (teaser: next episode), Billy Abbott from The Whisky Exchange, and distiller extraordinaire Brendan McCarron and I can’t help but think that Japanese whisky is at a crossroads. With over 100 new distilleries opening over the past 10-15 years and suddenly flattening sales overseas, there may be a glut of new whisky hitting the market soon. David and I reflect on this potential crisis in our discussion. See what we have to say.
David’s Current Obsessions
At the end of the episode, I asked David for 3 bottles he’s currently obsessed with. He responded quickly and decisively and here they are.
A Ghost Series 9 year old Chichibu aged in Saison casks (61% ABV). The Ghost Series are private bottlings from Stefan VanEycken released periodically as he finds interesting casks to bottle. His close relationship with Chichibu’s owner and distiller Ichiro Atuko led him to this beauty.
Suntory Pure Malt Whisky First Edition. A legendary 1986 bottling. David’s opened the last bottle he’s willing to part with so if you want to try it, you better hurry to Aloha Whisky ASAP. Sadly, I left without getting a pour. C’est la vie.
The Boutique-y Whisky Company’s Pendryn 6 year, batch #2 (50% ABV). Proving that Aloha Whisky is much more than a Japanese whisky bar, David has some of the most interesting international bottlings you’ll find anywhere. This one is an absolute fruit bomb that will surprise anyone who claims they don’t like whisky, but do like pina coladas.
Much More to Explore
As always, there is more to learn from listening to the episode or following Stephen, Christopher, and David on social media.
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