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January 12, 2005
Bar Abby in Roppongi introduces us to two Hebess Liqueur based Cocktails
I guess you’re all familiar with the name “Hebesu”, right?
Maybe some of you out in there in Kanto, or for that matter Kansai, have never heard that name, so I should explain. Hebesu is a variety of “Kankitsu” citrus fruit, which is a speciality of Miyazaki Prefecture. At Kyoya Brewery, they are currently selling “Hebess Ronde”, a barley shouchu in which Hebesu have been pickled.
About two years ago when I visited Kyoya Brewery, one of the staff in the storeroom showed me a Kankitsu, which was light green in color and a little smaller than your fist.
“Do you know what this is?”
“No, I’ve no idea.”
“It’s a local speciality of Hyuga. We call them Hebesu. They have a unique fragrance and taste really tangy. Right now we’re researching ways of using them to make shouchu,” he told me proudly.
The result of that hard work is “Hebess Ronde”, a highly refined sweet liqueur, which is pretty and light green in appearance. This new product is proving to be extremely popular, and one bar is even using it to make cocktails. That bar is Bar Abby in Roppongi – and that’s where we’re going to drop in on today!
Bar Abby, in fact, ranks among the highest performers of all the bars related to Kyoya web. The reason for this is that they have been stocking Kyoya shouchu, especially Kameshizuku, from years back, and have acquired a great reputation.
“Well it’s partially because I’m originally from Miyazaki, but when I started this bar, I did so because I wanted more people to know about the great taste of shouchu. I’m happy to say it’s become incredibly popular with the customers,” explains Bar Abby’s landlord, Imamura Yoshiteru.
It appears that Imamura has been using Kyoya shouchu at a range of different events. The Kyoya shouchu delivered to Aoyama Top Note while he was working there must have really got his “Hyugan” blood pumping!
“Some time back, I bought 48 bottles of Kameshizuku from Kyoya, poured them into a large custom-made bottle, and organized a “Nomihoudai” (drink-as-much-as-you-like party) for the customers with the other bars that we are affiliated with. It was a great success, and by the end the bottle was pretty much empty. Kameshizuku is smooth and delicious, and I think it really suits people living in the city.”
This is the guy who is going to make cocktails for me using Hebess Ronde! And what’s more, we are also going to blow the doors wide open on those cocktail recipes!!
“Well although we call them recipes, they’re actually pretty simple! The base liqueur tastes really good, and so it’s best not to do too much to it,” says Imamura as he starts making the first of the cocktails described below.
1. Hebess Cubano
This is actually pretty much the same recipe as the famous cocktail Sol Cubano. For those of you who are not familiar with Sol Cubano, it is a cocktail that was originally created by a Japanese bartender, and is now loved by many people around the world. Today, however, is the first time I have tried Hebess Cubano, in which the rum base used in Sol Cubano is replaced with Hebess Ronde.
How to make Hebess Cubano
(1) Start by making “rock” ice (or ice cubes). Put about 3 or 4 of these in the glass, so that the glass is neatly filled.
(2) Half fill the glass with Hebess Ronde.
(3) Prepare some fresh hand squeezed grapefruit juice, and pour about 1/3 glass of this into the glass.
(4) Add tonic water up to the brim of the glass.
Stir the cocktail, and you’re done.
So there you have it - pretty simple, but follow these steps and we have a Hebess Cubano!
From its beautiful light green appearance, to the way that the freshness of the grapefruit and its slightly bitter fragrance complement the aroma of Hebesu, this drink is absolutely fantastic. Hebess Ronde is actually a very sweet liqueur, but this sweetness is tempered by adding grapefruit juice, and a more mature flavor obtained.
“I think Hebess Ronde has a truly sophisticated flavor. As a bartender I find it really interesting; the bitterness of the peel, and the way the aroma gradually builds up yet at the same time stays delicious. It’s also good served simply as a liqueur, and even better on the rocks.、That’s possibly because the shouchu used as the base is really great……Anyway, Yamamoto, I know another interesting drink that I’m sure you’ll like. You have to try it!”
says Imamura as he starts to slice up a cucumber. He then takes the sliced cucumber, and starts to cut it into square pieces.
“This one is…well…let’s call it…Hebess Cucumber.”
2. Hebess Cucumber
How to make Hebess Cucumber
(1) Slice the cucumber, dice it, and then place it in the glass.
(2) Use the spoon side of a cocktail stirrer to push the cucumber lightly against the side of the glass so that the juice and aroma are released. Do not crush the cucumber!
(3) Add enough Hebess Ronde such that you can still just smell the aroma of the cucumber, and then stir.
(4) Add finely crushed ice, and serve accompanied with thin slices of cucumber.
Well it was surprising from the start, but this cocktail also includes a few refreshing bites to eat too!
If you drink Hebess Ronde on its own, then you will find that it has a sweet fragrance and is in fact quite sweet to the taste, but just adding the cucumber conjures up a refreshing and fresh sensation. This is a really pleasant surprise; they have a great affinity for each other. Cucumbers are a type of gourd, and as such have a strong and unique fragrance, but the raw flavor disappears when mixed with Kankitsu, and it actually makes Hebess Ronde taste much more sophisticated.
“Wow! That’s great. So fresh, and really more stylish than I expected!”
“I thought you’d like it! Actually, one of our regular customers and I came up with it together. We wanted to use the liqueur to make something a bit more exciting…and then it struck us…how about mixing it with cucumber? It really hits the mark!”
Seriously, the result is a nice surprise. If you ever have the chance of visiting Bar Abby, you should definitely check this drink out. It manages to be intriguing, and yet at the same time fairly orthodox. I guarantee that it will help you freshen up after eating some greasy food.
Hebess Ronde, is in fact a fairly strong liqueur at 30% alcohol, and because I didn’t eat anything before drinking, I started to feel drunk really quickly. In that state, I found myself asking Imamura about himself…
“I was born in Sadowara-cho in Miyazaki Prefecture. When I was a student, I worked part time in the catering business, and…well…to cut a long story short, bartenders are popular with the ladies aren’t they (laughs)! After graduation, I talked with an acquaintance, who was a bartender, and he suggested learning how to cook. Following that, I started to work at a restaurant in Moto-machi in Kobe. Then there was the earthquake. The whole town was in a mess; it wasn’t a good time to be a bartender. Around that time, I heard about the Bartender School in Tokyo, and I decided to come up to Tokyo and give it everything I had. While in Tokyo I became familiar with Aoyama Top Note and asked the owner, Musashi, for a job. He was kind enough to take me on, and with that my life as a bartender began.”
Actually, I recall going to Top Note myself when Imamura san was working there. From that time, you could tell his Hyugan warmth and energy was something that all the customers could pick up on.
“This bar opened in May 2003, but the place itself has actually been here for many years. The previous owner received an offer from the owner of Top Note to take on the bar, and ultimately that is how I came to be assigned here. The interior design for the shop was done by the illustrious Uchida Shigeru. For me, it’s really quite an honor to be placed in charge of such a great bar, so I really try my best to make it a success.”
Bar Abby, which is already popular in Roppongi, is also famous for its live jazz piano performances. Even though it is in Roppongi, fortunately it is located away from the glare of the spotlight and is ideally suited to the connoisseur. Having said that, each of the seats in the place is very relaxed, and the bar maintains its position as a place into which you can stop off and enjoy a drink.
“When it comes to Kyoya shouchu, in all honesty, I really like their traditional shouchus such as Kanro. As a local to Miyazaki, the potato smell is something that I like. But for non-locals, especially those from Kanto, Kameshizuku is perhaps easier to drink. It has no particular idiosyncrasies, it’s refined, and if you add a little water it exudes a wonderful aroma. If you get a chance to come here, you have to check it out! Of course we’ll always be happy to serve you a Hebess Ronde cocktail too!”
The material for this article was obtained at six o’clock in the evening on a Monday; a time when you really wouldn’t expect many people to be out drinking, but nevertheless, customers were starting to arrive as we talked. Coming for a drink to kick off the night I guess! Imamura winks as he goes off to pull a few beers.
Cool assured workmanship, and a warm Hyugan spirit. Clearly Imamura’s exquisite Kyoya shouchu cocktails were born from the combination of these two extremes.
At Bar Abby, delicious Kyoya shouchu is quietly breathing a breath a fresh air into the glare and bustle of Roppongi. I truly recommend Kyoya fans try this place at least once.
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Bar Abby
Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi 7-chome, 8-2 Arukasaru Yagi 8F
03-3408-1367
18:00~02:00
Closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Posted Admin : January 12, 2005 11:22 AM
