A creative, award-winning bar for cocktail lovers

Savoy Hommage (Style SAVOY Hommage) is located on the hillside of the historic town of Kobe. This is an atmospheric bar full of old British style. It is owned and operated by recent Suntory Cocktail Award winner Kazuya Morisaki, one Japan’s most prestigious cocktail competitions. Vintage knick-knacks are cleverly scattered around the dimly lit venue, including a vintage cashier desk and an entire phone booth, to attract guests.

As soon as you walk in, you’ll immediately feel Morisaki’s Kansai charm. Despite his friendly and lively demeanor, he takes his craft very seriously, creating drinkable works of art with exquisite garnishes. His Suntory Award-winning creation Tefu Tefu distills his mixology philosophy and charm into one cocktail.

Kazuya Morisaki’s vision

born in Toyama and in Osaka and Kobe Morisaki is a native of Kansai and has a background in physical education. Morisaki has a fun-loving spirit, but he takes his cocktails seriously. “I used to work part-time in food services, and my boss took me to my first bar for a drink,” Morisaki recalls. “I was really inspired by the bar world and admired making a career out of doing things with your hands.”

He was immediately interested and soon began working as an apprentice in a company. legendary Bartender at Savoy Kobe. This was in 2000; five years later, he left to start his own business. As the name suggests, Savoy Hommage pays homage to its mentor’s legacy. Its entrance is unassuming, but a luxurious and occasionally quirky interior awaits you. It has a quiet and cozy atmosphere, with brick walls and velvet sofas bathed in the warm light of lamps brought directly from the original Savoy.

Cocktail connoisseurs flock to Savoy Hommage to sample Morisaki’s world-famous cocktails, such as the refreshing “Beautiful Journey,” a blend of gin, apple puree and fruit juice. and won the 2022 IBA World Cocktail Championships Long Drink Categoryor want something more classic and simple, like a smooth Scotch on the rocks.

As a bartender, Morisaki’s goal is simple: spread joy. “Making something delicious is a no-brainer,” he says matter-of-factly. “There’s no one answer to what tastes good because it’s subjective, but I try to serve something delicious every time. When people come to my bar, if they’ve had a good day, I want them to leave even happier . If they feel stressed when they come, I want them to feel lighter when they leave.”

Morisaki credits his mentor with teaching him the value of impeccable customer service. “I was taught that the bathroom was the most important part of an establishment and my owner kept it impeccably maintained. One day he stuck his finger into the toilet tub and licked it to show he was confident the toilet was clean . Until three years later, my master showed me the same lesson. kouhai (Young colleague), I realized that he touched the toilet bowl with his little finger and licked his index finger. I feel cheated! But it was because of that lesson that I learned to take care of my bar thoroughly. “

Tefu Tefu: The drink that won the Morisaki Suntory Cocktail Award

Morisaki has won several competitions over the years. But at this year’s Suntory Cocktail Awards, he really wanted to put his skills to the test. “With the Cocktail Awards celebrating its 30th anniversary and next year being Expo Osaka, I felt it was time to challenge myself again. Winning the competition – I think that comes with a lot of responsibility and I’m really feeling that firsthand now.”

It makes sense that he feels some pressure: The Cocktail Awards, one of Japan’s most prestigious bartending competitions, celebrate creativity and craftsmanship in cocktail making and pay homage to the country’s unique cocktail culture. Out of thousands of entrants, only one will be selected; this winner will receive 500,000 yen and training in top bar overseas about 1 week.

Morisaki’s winning entry this year is elegant yet retains an element of playfulness. The cocktail is called “Tefu Tefu,” using ancient Japanese letters for the word “butterfly.” It is a vibrant maroon color with delicate butterfly embellishments on the edge of the glass.

“‘Inheritance and Innovation’ is concept The Cocktail Award, I wanted to symbolize that,” Morisaki said. “Using the old Jin Mao Di Alphabet, I wanted to show what we inherit from our ancestors and use the butterfly as a global symbol of rebirth and joy. “

Tefu Tefu uses Suntory’s wide range of spirits, liqueurs and syrups to create complex and sophisticated flavours. The main spirit used is Suntory World Whiskey Ao, which is a blend of whiskeys from the five major whiskey producing countries in the world. “Depending on the person, people will say it tastes like Japanese or American whiskey,” Morisaki explains. “Also, no one has ever won a cocktail award with Ao before, so I thought it would be a fun challenge.”

Morisaki combines Ao with Japanese craft liqueur Kanade Sakura; Kyoho Shishuang; Watsunagi yuzu syrup and fresh shiso leaves for a uniquely Japanese drink with the ideal balance between sweetness, freshness and slight bitterness .

“I wanted to create a Japanese cocktail, with Ao representing the world and the ocean, and the image behind the cocktail being a butterfly crossing the ocean, from Japan to the world,” Morisaki said, serving a glass of award-winning red wine. drink.

Which brings us to butterflies. One of the most inspiring aspects of Tefu Tefu is undoubtedly the decoration. On a lime peel swirl sits a delicate and stately butterfly carved from white radish, surrounded by red radish flowers. One look and you can tell that Morisaki has been practicing for years, effortlessly creating a little masterpiece for every glass he serves.

“The garnish expresses the cocktail’s worldview in an easy-to-understand way,” explains Morisaki. “Decorating beautifully is the minimum requirement. A cocktail has a name, flavor, color and aroma, and the garnish has to bring it all together.”

A new chapter begins

For Morisaki, winning this year’s Suntory Cocktail Award is not only a huge honor, but also the beginning of something bigger. Upon winning, he will work as a guest bartender at an exclusive event at a top bar overseas; he will also have the opportunity to visit a brewery. “I will be training abroad next year and I think the Cocktail Awards really expand the worldview of the winning bartenders, even after the competition,” he said. “Suntory has really given me a lot of support for my award-winning cocktail brand.”

“The Cocktail Awards is a bartender’s dream stage,” he continued. “It has a rich history and bartenders of any age can step up and challenge themselves.”

With Morisaki’s Tefu Tefu floating across the seven seas, anyone could be the next winner and continue to lead us into a new era of mixology.

This is a PR article sponsored by Suntory.
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