Andie Bulley
The Heritage Exchange
The Cranes Waterbowl
Glassware
Nick and Nora
GARNISH
Paper crane using lemon thyme scented paper
INGREDIENTS
45ml Hakushu Distillers Reserve
15ml Shiitake mushroom infused manzanilla sherry
20ml yuzu puree
10ml Dashi
10ml Cucumber syrup
METHOD
Shake, double strain, served up. dashi - wipe 20g kombu with damp cloth. add to saucepan with 1l of water. soak overnight. bring dashi to almost a boil, when dashi begins to bubble, remove from heat. remove kombu, let dashi cool. add 25g bonito fish flakes. add three drops of sardine oil. when dashi begins to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 seconds. rest until all fish flakes fall to bottom of pan. strain into bowl using a sieve and cheesecloth. discard fish flakes. SHIITAKE infused sherry - add 35g of shiitake mushrooms to 300ml manzanilla sherry. let infuse for three hours. strain infused sherry through sieve into new bottle. throw leftover Shiitake away.
THE STORY BEHIND THE COCKTAIL NAME
For The Perfect Blend 2020, I am toasting to aratana hajimari, meaning a new beginning. As a young naive nightclub bartender who thought vodka raspberries were all the rage, I didn't expect my journey to Japan to completely change my outlook on alcohol. However, after getting lost in the backstreets of Osaka, I stumbled upon a tiny house which would change everything. The house smelt of the most amazing flavours I had ever experienced, and after standing outside for a brief moment, a kind gentleman welcomed me inside. As we began discussing his life and travels, the man began to serve me amazing drinks and food dishes filled with umami flavours. It was this moment that opened my eyes to what bartending could be, and that the possibilities in cocktails are endless. He challenged me to try different and unique foods from every city that I ventured to on that trip. As a thank you to the new world this man introduced me to, I ensured that each element of my cocktail contained these peculiar flavours.