Cocktail Omakase opens in NYC
Japan-inspired Cocktail Omakase has opened in New York with a concept developed in partnership with Tokyo’s Bar Libre.
The new bar comes from the Cocktail Kingdom Hospitality Group, which is also behind the likes of New York venues Superbueno, Katana Kitten and Mace.
The group’s founder and CEO, Greg Boehm, and his partner Jessica Boehm, the group’s director of marketing and PR, have teamed up with Tokyo’s Bar Libre to bring the concept to life.
Bar Libre is currently ranked 49 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
Boehm said: “This partnership marks an exciting chapter in the growth of Cocktail Kingdom Hospitality Group, allowing us to expand our presence through globally inspired imbibing experiences rooted in authenticity.
“Bar Libre embodies everything we admire about Tokyo’s cocktail culture. Collaborating with their team brings that spirit to New York in a way that feels true to both of our identities, while continuing to evolve who we are as a hospitality group.”
The concept explores the omakase experience within the realm of cocktails.
The space is centered around a 12-seat counter, which is set up similarly to a traditional sushi bar. Guests are positioned directly in front of the bartender and led through a four-course cocktail tasting menu, which is paired with four bites from chef Phillip Kirschen-Clark.
These include dishes such as soy-marinated jammy egg, miso-baked clam and koji-marinated super-crunch chicken.
The menus are offered in three different formats: non-alcoholic, low-ABV and full-proof (spirited). Each is priced at US$55 per person and lasts for around an hour.
The cocktails are inspired by Ginza-style service and are served in smaller, concentrated tasting portions that are approximately 3-4oz in size.
Some of the drinks listed include a Sushi Sazerac that contains shochu, rye whiskey, nori, and bonito bitters, and a Ember Highball, which features lapsang souchong, cedar, and plum.
The menus changes every fortnight to ‘reflect seasonality, technique and creative evolution’.
Consulting beverage director Jillian Vose and head bartender Mathew Resler head up the experience with the cocktail programme developed in close collaboration with Bar Libre.
Vose will support the development and refinement of the programme, while Resler will lead the day-to-day execution. His previous experiences include leading the bar at Empellón Taqueria and helping to open Bar Goto, both located in New York.
Ongoing exchange
Resler travelled to Bar Libre’s Ikebukuro location in Tokyo to immerse himself in its approach, while the Bar Libre team are said to have contributed recipes and hospitality training to the project.
Members from Bar Libre’s team will also travel to New York three to four times a year to hold week-long residencies, which aims to give a ‘true extension of Bar Libre within New York’s cocktail landscape’.
The idea is to create a ‘long-term bridge’ between Tokyo and New York, rather than act as a one-night takeover between the teams.
Bar Libre’s owner, Yujiro Kiyosaki, said: “At Bar Libre, we’ve long admired the precision, hospitality, and quiet elegance that defines Tokyo’s cocktail culture.
“Partnering with Cocktail Kingdom Hospitality Group on Cocktail Omakase felt like a natural extension of our shared commitment to craftsmanship and guest-centered design.
“Together, we aim to translate that Tokyo spirit into the fabric of New York – celebrating the nuance of each neighbourhood through cocktails that are intentional, expressive, and deeply rooted in place.”
Additionally Cocktail Omakase will house Bar 7, which is described as a ‘discreet seven-seat cocktail den that offers a more informal extension of the experience’, as one might discover at a Tokyo micro-bar.
The space will feature a menu of seven cocktails and is accessed behind handcrafted shoji screens, created by US-based shoji screen maker Miya Shoji.
It is intended to be a more casual, à la carte extension of the experience.
The overall design of the Cocktail Omakase draws heavily from Japanese influences, including textured plaster walls, warm wood tones, iron mesh lighting sculptures and ikebana-style floral arrangements.
The venue is located at 217 Eldridge Street in New York, in the space that used to occupy Uchū and Ichimura. Opening hours are from Wednesday to Monday, with weekday seatings from 6pm and weekends from 5.30pm.
For more new bars, see our roundup of openings from winter.
Related news
RTD sales near £200m in Britain's on-trade
