Blog
Stories from behind the bar: cocktails, ramen, Japanese culture, and life on the Lower East Side.
WhiskyNov 7, 2025Mars Iwai Blue Label: The Japanese Whisky Named After Taketsuru's MentorA corn-forward blended Japanese whisky from Mars Komagatake in Nagano, aged in ex-bourbon barrels and named for Kiichiro Iwai — the man who sent Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland.CocktailsNov 4, 2025Hounds Black Vodka: The One Bottle on This Shelf That Isn't JapaneseA jet-black vodka from Niagara, Ontario, coloured by fulvic minerals and humic acid. It's on our list because of what it does in a glass, not where it's from.ShochuOct 26, 2025Kirishima Melt and Kirishima No.8: The Two Bottles That Aren't Everyday ShochuOne is Kuro Kirishima aged over fifteen years in oak. The other is built on a sweet potato the distillery bred itself, with fourteen times the aromatics.CocktailsOct 25, 2025The Scarlet Spectrum of BittersThe full Scarlet range from Iseya Distillery in Kanagawa — bitter, amaro, peach, coffee and cask-aged — and how we use it in our signature Scarlet Negroni with mezcal and umeshu.WhiskyOct 23, 2025Shinobu 10 Year Pure Malt: Mizunara Finish From a Niigata Beer BrewerShinobu Distillery got its whisky license in Niigata in 2017, founded by the man behind Niigata Beer. Malts from sherry, bourbon and hogshead casks, finished in Japanese oak.SakeOct 19, 2025Hakutsuru Sayuri: A Nigori Named After a Little LilyA soft, creamy nigori from a Nada brewery founded in 1743. Sayuri means little lily, and it's the bottle we use to convert people who say they don't like sake.CocktailsOct 16, 2025Oka Vodka and Oka Yuzu Vodka: Rice Spirits From a Kuma Shochu HouseBoth come out of Tsutsumi Distillery in Kumamoto on a 100% rice base. The yuzu one is macerated twice — once before distillation and once after.BeerOct 12, 2025Kagua Blanc and Rouge: Belgian-Style Beer Brewed With Yuzu and SanshoTwo Japanese ales built on Belgian yeast and Japanese aromatics — yuzu from Kochi and budo sansho from Wakayama. Strong, fragrant, and made for a wine glass.CocktailsOct 9, 2025Suntory Roku: Six Japanese Botanicals, One Per SeasonRoku means six. Sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha, gyokuro and sansho — each harvested at its own peak, then built onto a classic gin base.SakeOct 5, 2025Little Sumo: An 18% Undiluted Junmai in a CupChibi Zumo — a junmai genshu from Oka Brewery in Hyogo, bottled undiluted at 18% ABV. It looks like a novelty cup and drinks like a serious sake.CommunityOct 2, 2025October at Juraku: Community, Cocktails, Comfort Food, and BombsA thank-you for Showdown Chinatown, the return of the Hojicha Old Fashioned with Laphroaig, fall comfort dishes, and a note on delivery fees.
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