Welcome. How are you tonight?

Lately, we hear terms like “herbivore men” and “carnivore women” quite often (are they a bit dated?).

I had thought it was about the rise of vegans, or perhaps wild women devouring skewered meats and stewed offal at standing bars around Shimbashi (even more dated, right?). But a customer enlightened me, saying, “That’s a complete misunderstanding.” It made me realize that sometimes, one should “pay attention to the sun and the world.” This is bartender Kobayashi speaking.

When I hear such things, I can’t just stand by as a bartender, or even as a man. Let’s lend a hand, as long as it doesn’t catch a cold.



My upbringing might be showing, but as a mischievous and suspicious bartender, I once quietly whispered to the very lovely representative of the importer at a tasting event, “Are you sure you don’t use a little bit of fragrance or something?” She replied gently, with a smile as soft as a breeze, “No, nothing at all.”

When she visits our bar, she too is enveloped in the scent of roses. I thought to myself, ‘That’s quite a lot of perfume for someone visiting a restaurant,’ and indulging my poor upbringing, I asked her as she was leaving, “You like rose-scented perfume too, don’t you?” She said she wasn’t wearing any perfume. “Then is it your shampoo or fabric softener? The scent of roses has been with you since you arrived…” I ventured, treading the line of harassment. She mentioned that people often say that. Just as I was about to say, “Could it be this liqueur…?” she disappeared into the twilight, leaving behind the scent of roses, and the mystery remained unsolved.

How would you like to drink it?

This liqueur is delicious served straight, or with a single small ice cube. However, I recommend adding a subtle hint of its aroma to champagne. Yes, it’s quite sophisticated.



Cocktails made with champagne, such as the Leonardo and Bellini, are often named after painters. So, I’ve taken the liberty of naming this cocktail “Redouté” in imitation. The namesake is Pierre-Joseph Redouté, a court painter who served Marie Antoinette and Empress Joséphine of Napoleon.

He painted various flowers with botanical accuracy, and all his works are incredibly detailed and highly artistic. His rose paintings, in particular, are popular, and he is praised as the “Raphael of roses” for the eroticism they evoke (I’ve drastically abbreviated the explanation, so please search for yourself if you’re interested).

What would you like to pair tonight?

What would you like to pair tonight?

By the way, there are very few women who wouldn’t be happy to receive flowers as a gift. However, for men, approaching a meeting spot with flowers hidden behind their back can be quite a hurdle.

In such cases, invite her to a bar and subtly present her with this liqueur, or perhaps the cocktail “Redouté.” What? You say the biggest hurdle is inviting her to a bar in the first place? Relying on others for everything is also a symptom of modern Japanese men. Let’s at least manage to get to the bar on our own. After all, no woman dislikes roses, so it should work out.




So, the song we’ll pair tonight is by the universally beloved Keith Jarrett. From the album “The Melody At Night, With You,” it’s “My Wild Irish Rose.” Keith Jarrett is such a great artist that there’s no need for me to explain him further here; it would be rather unsophisticated.

This album was also born from a rather poignant backstory (again, I’ll omit much of it, so please search for yourself), but what’s remarkable is that while most of Keith’s albums feature his characteristic “ah”s and “oo”s, or cries and groans akin to prayer (like Gould, geniuses are different!), they are absent here. It’s astonishing.

Up until now, I’ve even wondered if Keith is someone who truly wants to sing. It’s not widely known, but Keith has actually released vocal albums in the past.

Personally, I love Keith’s playing when he was reluctantly playing electric piano for Miles, as it was divine. But I’ll introduce that another time if the opportunity arises. All the songs on this album are wonderful. My friend, who plays the piano, listened to this album and said, “Instead of just practicing improvisation, I need to study melody more,” and he said it with a look of awe and hurriedness. It’s the beauty of melody that only Keith, having reached a certain state of enlightenment, can weave.

The moon is beautiful tonight, perhaps take a detour on your way home…

This album pairs beautifully with moonlight. It’s as if the moonlight enhances the burgeoning feelings of love with its sheer beauty. So, after leaving the bar, with the lingering notes of the song as your BGM, and walking home under the gentle moonlight, if you feel her cheeks blush delicately, take that extra millimeter of distance that brings you close enough to touch, but not quite. Be at ease.

After drinking the Rosenlikör, she should no longer have any of that wicked, thorny demeanor. And if you can detect a sweet, soft, blooming rose scent in her breath, the rest is up to your courage.

“The memory of a scent opens the door to recollection,” as they often say. May the shared memory of scent become a rose-colored door to recollection, unweathered by the moonlight.

Cheers to you, the night, and the music.