Devised by the Home of Suntory’s Model Ambassador James Bowker, each component of Home of Suntory’s DOJO programme has been conceived with private development and creating higher visitor experiences in thoughts, impressed by the artwork of Japanese Bartending.
First impressions
“I’d come throughout Japanese whisky earlier than, however the first time I had an perception into the artwork of Japanese bartending was by means of a coaching session with Mate Csatlos,” James explains. “He’d frolicked in Japan the place he’d discovered the rules and strategies such because the arduous shake and ice carving and I bear in mind watching him work with such magnificence and precision,” he remembers.
“His focus was on ensuring that each component of what he was doing was executed to the nth potential diploma – even when the visitor would by no means realise the distinction. What struck me was that he had this entire sense of calm on his face as he was bartending. That was so alien to the background I’d come from which had been excessive quantity cocktail bars the place you needed to transfer as quick as potential. Watching him bartend at that velocity with such effectivity, however with a whole sense of Zen was a revelation. He wasn’t Japanese, we weren’t in Japan, however he had discovered from a Japanese grasp. And that was after I was like, ‘Okay, there’s one thing on this – it’s one thing very particular’.”
That was round 10 years in the past. Since then, James has immersed himself in all points of the craft which has not simply impacted his bartending model and his work as Home of Suntory’s Model Ambassador, however his private life as nicely. “Right here within the West, we’ve got a really results-oriented method of life, whereas in a variety of Japanese cultures, it’s about changing into current and deriving pleasure from every second,” he tells us.
How so? As an example, if you’re bartending, it’s not nearly whether or not you may make essentially the most cocktails as rapidly as potential, however fairly ‘let’s get pleasure from each step of the method; let’s get pleasure from how we’re stirring, treating every time we stir as a second to enhance ourselves’,” he presents. “On a private stage, it’s the attention-to-detail in the whole lot I do, realising how a lot each element issues. I at all times attempt to costume fairly sharply after I go to occasions in the neighborhood. I’m additionally hyper-aware of my physique language and that I maintain eye contact rather a lot longer than different individuals. That’s as a result of I’ve develop into knowledgeable by means of Japanese tradition and the way necessary all these particulars are – each in the way in which wherein individuals expertise being with me and the worth of our friendships.
Elevating the bar
“However much more deeply than that, it’s the mindfulness; having this presence and consciousness at each stage and attempting to not let the chatter and confusion that enters our minds distract me from being in that second. It’s helped my hospitality immensely and has formed the foundations on which the DOJO programme was created”.
As an example, with The Home of Suntory’s DOJO programme, continues James: “While cocktail competitions are fabulous, there are a various them and bartenders have gotten a bit of bit world weary,” he says. As a substitute, James has curated an incredible programme designed to noticeably increase the sport of everybody collaborating – no matter stage they’re at of their careers – and with an non-compulsory aggressive component.
“The DOJO programme is about giving these unbelievable professionals in our business the chance to be authentically immersed in a tradition that so many people draw such nice inspiration from,” he enthuses. “It’s a possibility to study these additional parts of element within the craft, the place Japan as a tradition will at all times be so obsessive about these particulars. Let’s study from the bartenders and masters in Japan, however let’s additionally study extra broadly about Japanese tradition and the way these philosophies, methods of viewing life, work and creativity can encourage new methods of interested by hospitality and bartending extra usually.”
Given the which means, calling the programme ‘DOJO’ could be very apt however earlier than we get on to what’s in retailer this yr, are you able to describe the three pillars of Home of Suntory and the way you’ve included them into the programme?
In fact! The primary is Wa which suggests concord with nature. It’s true to the core philosophy of Japan, the place we discover unbelievable inspiration from simply being current within the second. It’s that concept of the steadiness between absolute complexity and concord.
The second is Monozukuri, the standard strategy to craftsmanship that we see in Japanese tradition, which is that concept of first attempting to grasp one thing – studying from the predecessors, the masters after which taking a really humble strategy to the way you may refine issues, however realizing that you just by no means cease refining.
Individuals speak concerning the Japanese being perfectionists, however that’s as a result of they’re always pursuing refinement fairly than stopping as soon as they assume this has been attained. The sense of what’s excellent is continually altering. There’s by no means a sophisticated recipe or a completed method of doing issues in Japan as a result of in its tradition, there isn’t a sense of full perfection – there’s at all times room to enhance.
And the third is Omotenashi which is the standard sense of Japanese hospitality. On the finish of the day, Japanese tradition is kind of distinctive, and we all know that folks all around the world need to expertise it. But not everybody after all has the chance to go and go to Japan. So, what we’re attempting to do is create spirits that give genuine flavours of Japan – that delicate complexity and steadiness that’s anticipated from Japanese flavour, then create an genuine expertise that’s true to the Japanese deal with element.
There are two components to the programme: DOJO Academy and DOJO Senpai, are you able to inform us about them?
The factor about this concept of continually evolving and bettering is that for those who solely have one stage of schooling, if you’ve executed it as soon as, the place do you go from there? With this in thoughts, we wished to guarantee that there are a number of tiers to the DOJO programme that give individuals a capability to come back in on the stage that’s applicable for them and to their relationship with Japanese spirits.
We even have three tiers for this yr’s DOJO programme. The web site may even embrace instructional content material this yr, so it is a probability for anybody who needs to get a fundamental understanding of Japanese tradition and bartending to go to to get a taster. The subsequent tier is the DOJO Academy the place bartenders are advisable by their managers, or certainly, can register their curiosity personally by means of our web site, and we choose individuals who have demonstrated an actual ardour for Japanese tradition to come back in for 2 full-day coaching classes, the place we cowl the 4 modules.
After which lastly, the Senpai, which is invitation solely. This happens largely on account of us visiting among the finest hospitality venues within the UK, and figuring out both people or venues that basically have a deal with eager to grasp Japanese hospitality. We wish to see one thing totally different in people, and proof in venues of them championing Japanese tradition. We then provide them to hitch us for a way more intensive programme.
That is the third yr of the programme and the primary time that every one the classes can be IRL, what’s on the agenda?
For the 4 main modules, we’ll be specializing in every of our 4 principal manufacturers, Roku gin, Haku vodka and Toki and Hibiki whiskies and tying them to a particular conventional Japanese craft.
Ikebana and Aesthetics – A masterclass spotlighting the artwork of Ikebana flower arranging and how one can adapt it to cocktail garnishing, centered on Japanese aesthetics and wonder. The session additionally features a Roku tasting.
This was extremely profitable final yr, and we’re refining it a bit of additional this yr so a distinct group of individuals will study the rules.
Sushi and Seasoning – A masterclass on steadiness and seasoning, together with a Haku tasting.
This takes within the thought of utilizing elements as seasonings. For instance, we frequently see cocktails that may have seven or eight elements listed on the menu – that’s extremely complicated and also you’re unsure what the primary flavour is. I used to be at a bar the opposite night they usually had a beautiful cocktail on the menu with gin, mango, another fruit and yogurt, however I wasn’t certain if it was yogurt with a touch of mango, or gin with a refined mango yogurt? How did these flavours match up? What we’re attempting to get throughout on this masterclass is that you would be able to have main flavours and seasonings and people seasonings must be described differently. They’re there to harmonise the primary flavours and obtain the optimum steadiness. As an example, if I went to a restaurant and ordered a steak with a crimson wine jus, that jus may include 10 or 12 totally different herbs, however I’m not anticipated to know what they’re.
Chado and Hospitality – A masterclass in Japanese hospitality, explored by way of the standard Tea Ceremony, together with an in-depth tasting of Hibiki.
We’re actually excited to be working with Tea Masters in a standard Japanese tea ceremony, to grasp the entire parts inside hospitality that we don’t at all times take into consideration. So, issues like physique language and the sounds that we make while making tea or cocktails. If you’re in a bar in Japan, they by no means begin shaking arduous. They gently construct up as an alternative, then transfer into a robust shake earlier than gently lowering the depth. That’s as a result of they don’t need anybody to be sitting there having a beautiful Martini whereas being jolted by a sudden, loud sound. It’s these seemingly little issues that affect the way in which we expertise hospitality, and that’s what we’ll be exploring throughout this Masterclass.
Kaiseki and Psychology – A masterclass instructing the talents and strategies behind conventional multi-course Japanese eating. The session may even embrace a tasting of the mixing parts of Toki.
And eventually, we’ve received a brand-new masterclass the place we’ve collaborated with a flavour psychologist to grasp the modern insights, we will take from trendy psychology to affect the visitors expertise of flavour. Curiously, it’s not simply what’s within the glass that can influence their sense of flavour, however aromas in your venue, the colors they’re seeing and even the form of glass – all of this stuff are subconsciously constructed in your thoughts earlier than you even take a sip.
And if all of that data wasn’t sufficient, we additionally hear that you just’ll be choosing two bartenders to go to Tokyo. How does that half work?
That’s one thing we began final yr. While DOJO is an schooling platform at the beginning and can by no means be a cocktail competitors, we all know that bartenders are virtually minded individuals who prefer to get their palms soiled. We need to give taking part bartenders the chance to display what they’ve discovered and present how moments of difficult themselves might be rewarded for adhering to the core rules.
So, we’re taking the idea of Kaizen – the concept of fixed enchancment that’s a part of the Monozukuri craftsmanship – and asking every bartender to pick out a basic cocktail at the start of the programme. Following every of the masterclasses, they’ll be set a problem to use what they’ve discovered within the session, be it sushi or ikebana, to refine their basic cocktail all through the programme: making a Kaizen Basic.”
The true trick to it’s, if our choose isn’t in a position to determine what your basic is, you have got failed the problem. For instance, for those who’ve chosen an Previous Common as your signature cocktail and abruptly there’s a fermented mango syrup in there, that may be a fermented mango Previous Common, but it surely’s not an Previous Common. We’re seeking to make the very best model of a basic, not reinvent it.
What are you most trying ahead to this yr?
The factor that I discover most humbling concerning the DOJO programme is the group that we construct. Actually, all of the individuals which have been by means of the Senpai previously couple of years at the moment are genuinely shut mates that I see regularly. I additionally love the truth that we’re bringing individuals collectively. Having that chance to come back collectively in an area the place there’s no exterior strain means they’re not competing in opposition to one another – there’s no feistiness or egos at play. As a substitute, we’ve centered on constructing a group that’s all about their wellbeing, the place they’re conscious, current, and completely happy. As a result of for those who’re harassed, you’re not studying.
And what can we anticipate going ahead?
I feel we will anticipate Japanese tradition to develop into extra mainstream inside the client mindset, and due to this fact it’s so necessary that we as an business perceive what which means for us – studying concerning the deeper sense of Japanese tradition in order that we will talk that successfully to our visitors.
But it surely’s additionally that renewed recognition of the significance of mastering our craft – understanding why we shake or stir issues a specific method, why the form and elegance of the ice issues. It’s all concerning the particulars.
