Welcome, how are you?

But this summer is certainly hot, isn't it?

The forecast for extreme heat has proven accurate, and I imagine the Japan Meteorological Agency and related organizations are handing out special bonuses right about now. While three-month forecasts are important, the two major events for meteorological associations in Japan are the cherry blossom forecast and the declaration of the end of the rainy season. Yet, even when they're right, no one praises them, and when they're wrong, they face a barrage of boos nationwide.

It's quite a poignant profession, isn't it? My warmest summer greetings. I'm bartender Kobayashi.

I enjoy all seasons equally, not just summer, but summer does have one negative aspect. Many bartenders go to bed only after the sun has risen. When the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius from the morning, it becomes difficult to sleep due to the heat, leading to sleep deprivation. I'm particularly sensitive to air conditioning, so every day (though not every morning) when I wake up, I'm drenched in sweat, like I've just stepped out of a bath without a towel.

So, what comes to mind when you think of summer?

The sea? Or perhaps the mountains? Fireworks and shaved ice? After experiencing as many summers as your age, perhaps you've had your share of bittersweet, or perhaps bitter and sweet, fleeting yet vivid summer romances. While it's not romantic, I suppose we should moderate our passionate love affairs and jealousies for the sake of preventing global warming. It's not romantic at all, but I do have a salty memory of mistakenly gulping down noodle soup instead of barley tea.

By the way, bars offer many seasonal drinks and cocktails.

Today, I'll be serving a cocktail made with watermelon.

When I was a child, every summer vacation, I'd visit my grandparents. A man, wearing a tank top and a towel wrapped around his head, would cycle through the neighborhood, selling watermelons from his cart. That's now a faint memory from the last century, and perhaps you no longer see such sights.

Watermelon is a surprisingly versatile fruit. For example, you can enjoy it in a Watermelon Daiquiri, Watermelon Red Eye, or Watermelon Spoomoni.

Among these, today I'll introduce the Watermelon Salty Dog.

Do you know Salty Dog, one of the standard cocktails? It's a vodka-based, rocks-style cocktail using grapefruit, with salt decorating the rim of the glass in what's called a snow style. At Bar OPENERS, we'll substitute the grapefruit with watermelon juice.

Since we're at it, shall we use salt that's been ground with dried mint and dried lemon peel, and top it with watermelon sorbet?

As a side note, the combination of watermelon and salt isn't to enhance sweetness. It's said that since watermelon is 90% water, the pairing arose from the idea that while you get hydration, you also need salt.




Do you all know the benefits of watermelon?

As mentioned, it's rich in water. It's packed with ingredients like lycopene, which is 1.4 times more abundant than in tomatoes (a staple in diet supplements), inositol, said to prevent arteriosclerosis, and citrulline, which helps excrete waste products and toxins through its diuretic effect. It's a fruit that can also be expected to improve swelling and cold sensitivity.

However, even nutritious foods should not be consumed in excess. When alcohol is added, the diuretic effect is enhanced, which can lead to the loss of essential water. Therefore, it's important to rehydrate with mineral water or other beverages before sleeping.

Which musician leads to paradise?

And now, it's time for some daydreaming.

This is a southern paradise so beautiful that even the gods sigh. A cocktail in one hand. A bouquet in the heart. A fiery kiss on the lips. The sun on your back.

Then, put your smartphone aside and take a deep trip. Don't be afraid. You can return as soon as you open your eyes. Furthermore, let's add a vibrant splash of music to this paradise.

Herbie Hancock.



Oh. I can almost hear voices from behind the monitor saying, "As expected," "I knew it," or "How cliché." But today, we're not pairing with "Watermelon Man." Instead, we'll be pairing with "PARADISES" from the album "Lite Me Up."

Rest assured, I won't resort to lazy, childish tricks like choosing an uninspired song.

It's impossible to fully describe an artist like Herbie Hancock, even with a year's worth of this series. Simply put, he's a musician of immense talent, like a chameleon who assimilates into various genres or a flood that engulfs them all.

Incidentally, seven years before "LITE ME UP," he released an album titled "Flood." The cover art is quite striking.

The album "Lite Me Up" itself is based on funk and dance, a kind of Bracon (you younger folks might not know this, but it's short for Black & Contemporary). For those who are fans, this is stating the obvious, but the credits make it clear. From the first track, with its somewhat rushed guitar work by Lukather, it's overly ambitious pop composed by Rod Temperton.

Most of it is composed by Rod Temperton, but Narada Michael Walden also participated. This is the production team behind Michael Jackson's arguably grotesque, success-driving albums "Off The Wall" and "THRILLER" – in other words, the Quincy Jones camp.

Explaining Rod Temperton or Quincy Jones is, unfortunately, clearly beyond my writing capabilities.

Especially Quincy's beautiful trauma with his mother, which is crucial to understanding him, but I encourage those interested to search for it themselves.

Embrace the 80s for summer fatigue

As I wrote in this series before, many pianists seem to want to sing. He had been using a vocoder to restrain himself, but on "PARADISES," Herbie steps away from the keys to take the lead vocals with his natural voice – a self-conversion, perhaps. He's like an overeager stage manager at a school play.






If you thought, "Wait, this song..." then you are correct.

David Foster, known for hits by Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Chaka Khan, participated in composing and performing this song. In any case, it's an album packed with various elements, exuding a wonderful 80s vibe. So, not just "PARADISES," but if any track catches your eye, I recommend the album as a whole.

These days, summer is harsh. If you're not feeling energized by this pairing, I won't ask anything difficult. Either visit Bar OPENERS in your dreams, or turn off your computer right now and apply a cooling sheet to your life.

To you, the night, and the music, cheers.