The Art of the Japanese Cocktail

A new book co-authored by NYC’s Katana Kitten bar owner Masachiro Urushido and Michael Anstendig combines tradition and culture in The Art of the Japanese Cocktail. 

Masahiro Urushido opened West Village bar Katana Kitten in the summer of 2018. The bar won numerous awards and accolades in a very short time. We asked Urushido about what inspired him to collaborate on the creation of the book, The Japanese Art of the Cocktail.  

 

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Tell us about your book, The Japanese Art of the Cocktail. 

I worked with Hanna Lee PR for the opening of Katana Kitten. Hanna Lee approached me about a book they were doing that would be like half a bio about me and half a recipe book celebrating where I come from in Japan. It was like a background on myself and how I ended up opening Katana Kitten and then some of the recipes I’ve created along the way.  

What inspired you to get involved in the book?  

It was a great opportunity to share how special the bartending community and hospitality industry is. The industry gave me a shot when I had no talent, no skills—and now, 20 years later I work with one of the best bar teams in the world. In the book, there are 20 bartenders, some Japanese, some from the United States who also contributed cocktails based on their interpretations or inspirations from Japan. The Art of the Japanese Cocktail book pays homage to the industry and the bartenders.  

How are bartenders liking the book so far? 

It’s so cool to get people who have read the book and they are recreating the recipes and then they will tag me on social media with pictures of their food or drinks they created from the recipes in the book. It makes me proud of my fellow bartenders, they are really loving making the cocktails.  

Buy The Art of the Japanese Cocktail here.