East Wind

Should the east winds blow,

Carry to me the fragrance

Of apricot bloom;

And though your master is gone,

Never forget the springtime.

- Sugawara no Michizane

Travel the East Wind

One of the original Japanese cocktails was served at the Yokohama Grand Hotel in 1889 by head barman Louis Eppinger, a German bartender who gained fame in the San Francisco bar scene of the late eighteen hundreds. He was recruited by the new hotel to bring the elegance of the American cocktail culture to the East. His “Bamboo” cocktail, a low alcohol martini made with dry sherry and vermouth, was already gaining popularity back in the States, but it was Eppinger’s introduction of the drink in Japan that launched it into the history books.

Like the scent of nostalgia

There are many, many variations on the basic template of the Bamboo that range from simple and subtle changes to the main ingredients to the addition of a myriad of ingredients that make the drink almost unrecognizable. Here’s an elegant and sweet interpretation of one of the original Japanese cocktails in an homage to one of Kamei’s masterpieces. Let it whisper to you – kampei!

To remember the master

East Wind

1 ½ oz Oloroso sherry

1 ½ oz blanc vermouth

½ oz apricot liqueur

2 dashes orange bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Lemon twist.