Toki Whisky and Haku Vodka Find Their Way Into Pair of Pre-Mixed Cocktails Helmed By a Legendary Bartender

(Photo: House of Suntory)

On The Rocks, recognizable nationwide for its rainbow spectrum of pre-batched cocktails, is toasting AAPI Heritage Month with a pair of “East-Meets-West” recipes.

On Thursday, the brand unveiled its Yuzu Matcha Martini, a 20%-ABV cocktail made with Haku Vodka, alongside a Japanese Boulevardier bottled at 32.5% ABV with Toki Suntory Whisky. The liquor inside each cocktail is sourced from various Suntory distilleries dotted throughout Japan, collectively recognized as some of the oldest in the country.

The cherry (or rather, garnish) on top is that both recipes were developed from scratch by world-renowned bartender Hidetsugu Ueno. Arguably one of, if not the most famous mixologists in Japan, Ueno is the mastermind behind Bar High Five, a regular sight on the World’s 50 Best Bars list year after year. He earned the title of International Bartender of the Year at the 2016 Tales of the Cocktail Awards and is known for popularizing the Japanese highball on the world stage.

“Cocktails are an art form — anchored in tradition, yet endlessly open to innovation,” Ueno remarked in a news release. “With the Harmony Collection from On The Rocks Premium Cocktails, I was committed to capturing the precision, balance and artistry of Japanese bartending — bringing the spirit of craftsmanship to life in partnership with the number one bottled cocktail in the U.S.

Beyond mixology, Ueno is best known for his signature ice cubes, videos of which have accumulated tens of millions of views across social media. The viral ice inside Bar High Five cocktails is reportedly sourced from a local factory that spends two days freezing each batch (“if you make it longer, it’s clearer and harder,” Ueno says). The bartender is known to carve the cubes into a variety of shapes, most famously a many-sided ice diamond that vaguely resembles an oversized Ring Pop.

According to On The Rocks, its new Yuzu Matcha Martini layers flavors of citrus and earth with a “delicate balance of tang and bitterness.” Meanwhile, the Japanese Boulvardier is said to reimagine the classic recipe (itself a twist on the Negroni) with the addition of port wine.

The limited-edition cocktails are now available for purchase online at $29.99 per two-pack.