When a guest comes to our bar, we hope they are a little happier when they leave. A good bar is where a customer can leave a little happier than when they arrived. When a guest comes into the bar, they may be having a good day or a bad day. It's our job as a bar to recognize this and tailor the experience to how they are feeling. Making a good drink is expected, but it's about the small details and constantly sharpening all of your senses to be aware of your guests.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you for posting it! I think Frank Cisneros hits the nail right on the head when he draws the parallel between the aesthetic that's found in Japanese bartending and the tea ceremony. I'm reminded of the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" (if anyone reading this hasn't seen it, do yourself a favor). That's the first time I heard the term "shokunin"; someone committed to the relentless pursuit of perfection in their craft. It's so humbling to be able to watch shokunin at work.
I go to a lot of bars in Japan (and Taiwan as well) and I would often start talking with the bartenders or regulars about how I was amazed by how different the bars are here compared to back in the west. They told me it was because bartending was considered more of an art form here. The goal of going to a bar is to have a good drink, not to get drunk or party. I feel like a lot of bars in the west either serve the purpose of 1) getting people drunk and partying 2) giving people a place to drink while watching sports 3) giving people a place to have dinner while enjoying a drink. There aren't very many bars there whose only purpose is just for the enjoyment and appreciation of alcohol.
That really comes down to the fact that we in the west don't generally go to bars in order to appreciate the alcohol. If more people wanted that I am sure there would be more bars like it. I lived in China for about ten years and the bars I had there served either of two purposes. 1: A place to go for sports not available on regullar Chinese TV, games (pool, darts etc.) and beer.... 2: Live music bar with a larger selection of cocktails as well as beer. There was no demand for a cocktail lounge like bar and the likes in my area. Most custommers were off-shore engineers and/or sailors and all they care about was a place to have a good time while they were ashore. Patrons shape the bar environment, not the other way around :)
This is unfair. You're comparing the worst bars in a less urbanized, more massive country to some of the best in an extremely urbanized one. It's like comparing McDonald's to a five star steakhouse.
Amazing. We have a bar here in my city that has a traditional american bar or if you are brave enough and dont mind paying a premium you can wonder upstairs into a small room where the bartender assists you much like the bar tenders in this film. We paid about $35 for a apple martini and Negroni. Totally worth it when you have something done with such care. It really impacts the way the drinks tastes and treats you.
If more people in North America watched this they would understand me. I love the drink.. not being drunk. I get bummed out when I get drunk because I can’t have another drink. 🔮
This is a very different experience... i went to bar fiddich (NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE) and there were barely 12 patrons, the service was afuckingmazing, its like the concierge for bartending. I was in the mood for whiskey and my gf was in the mood for tequila, both of the drinkd were amazing to said the least.
MaKos2004 and what do the drinks cost? Comparing what they talk about to the small bar I go to and to have only 20% the number of guests are the drinks $75 a piece?
Is very simple and it has become all about tips, in US we get pay so little, that it hurts when a costumer that you gave the best service doesn’t tip you the right amount, and i think if i didn’t had that pressure my first years as bartender would have been the best. I hate costumers but they are the main reason why I love been a bartender, seen them discover drinks for the same time, and having fun conversation, you do build a lot of bonds, sometimes you’ll switch jobs and old costumers for the first place you work at recognize you. Making a drink is somehow therapeutic, mixing the ingredients, using the right amount and making it balance, is all about balance of flavors and densities coming together to create this beautiful pice of art, meant to be enjoy by people, the noise of the shaker, that will be my favorite part. It is at the beginning, Long night and a lot of pressure sometimes, and you rally don’t deal whit the nicest people all the time . But i would love to master this life style, it wouldn’t be so bad. Don’t mind this, I’m just sharing some thoughts on this quarantine.
Although I love japanese bartending, I don´t think you could do it somewhere else. As they say it in the Video, often its about 1 bartender for 4-6 people. I mean I was there once and I loved it, but I couldn´t afford a japanese bar if it would be in my hometown. 10-15€ cover charges, plus about 15€ minimum per cocktail.
In Germany you'll face similar costs per cocktail in a proper bar but you have to remember that neither Germany nor Japan has a tipping-culture. The prices are based on costs for ingredients, costs for running the business and wages of the barmen. Also, taxes are always included in the price of every single cocktail.
People whine about tipping in the U.S. but they forget that we never know the actual price of much of anything. A $10.00 cocktail has another 6-9% tax and a 15% tip (of the post-tax amount) on top of it.
Danielsan B Yes, it's pretty hard to run a proper bar in the US. Many barkeepers and bartenders have to live off of the tips, because the whole income is needed to cover the costs and there is no rest to take for private-life.
I would appreciate this more if there are more interviews from Japanese bartenders, less American ones. It's not the American specialists not good, just this content is so unbalanced. Don't forget the name of the documentary is about Japanese.
I bartend in the northeast United States. I try to bring some Japanese techniques to the table, but the reality is that Americans don’t have the patience for the attention to detail. It’s all about speed and volume here. But damn, I’d love to own a bar that completely emulated Japanese techniques.
There is many different bar style and costume and I really appreciate the Japanese style . It's make me want to be more caring towards my guests even while working in a busy bar . But respect is is givin n taken 🙏
This is not about American vs. Japanese bartending. This is really about American vs. the Japanese way of doing things. The Japanese just take everything to another level.
The show should happen after the guest receives and tastes the drink, not during preparation. These bartenders are craftspeople, and so the spectacle of mixing a drink feels more similar to watching a woodworker than a juggler. Great film!
Well I'm not surprised these people feel the way they do about bartending. The thing that got me into making drinks in the first place was a Japanese manga about a bartender
Err... Can someone tell Camper English that his eyewear matches several serial killers? (Love his line about Japanese bartending being light a slight-of-hand magic trick while American bartending is more like a circus juggling act.)
Amazing watch. For some time now, I've been looking for a high quality bar tools brand and it seems if anyone would have a strong preference, it would be the Japanese. Does anyone here have an idea what they might be using?
i wonder if in the context of covid-19 regulations, we might see a shift towards this style of bartending in the states. we're being mandated to operate at significantly reduced capacities, and it may be an opportunity for us to attempt to excel at a calmer, more sophisticated, more attentive style of bartending to better serve our guests and our communities. of course, that's predicated on the american people being willing to accept what's quickly becoming a new normal, which if the last month of "reopening" is any indication, is not fucking happening anytime soon.
That's true and it's mainly because eating outside is cheaper than buying fresh meat and veggies to cook for yourself. That's also why premade and packed lunches out of the fridge at the Japanese convenience stores are so popular.
Will Jacobs New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, Tokyo, Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (look it up), Hong Kong, Fiji, London, Paris, Munich, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Bonaire, Aruba, Belize, and Honduras. Never been to Missouri.
In regards to the ratio of bartender to people, I always wondered why establishments would have so few bartenders! It is crazy. You get poor drinks, no service and a chaotic atmosphere. I stopped drinking in places like that. We are no different then the Japanese. We want to enjoy a good drink too. Last, I always thought of bartending like a chef. You are making great creative, good and tasty food or in this case drink. We used to provide better service in USA but now we want everything fast including our Manhattan versus good quality. Sigh.....
Volume boost when ppl spoke japanese was very frustrating, drowned them out.. why? Would have been fantastic if ONLY japanese ppl were interviewed and WAY less intrusive music
"we can't damage the ice" then proceeds to pour a shit ton of ice shards on top of the cocktail also people in japan judge some of you talent based on how the ice shards are on top of the cocktail lol. that's just some bullshit.
that means you don't understand the importance of the journey of the entire experience. from the moment you enter and exit the establishment, not just the drink that has been served in front of you. You may not care for that warmed towel in an exact temperature that they hand to you on a cold winter night or that your drink sits perfectly center on the coaster. Most wont even realize these things, but for the Japanese this culture is embedded: the customers satisfaction is their pride of a job well done. Its an honour for them and don't even try tipping.
Wow. How depressing. I don’t want to watch Americans describing anything to be fair but this one is really bad. Can any one point me in the direction of some good Japanese cocktail videos by Japanese people please?
It's not neurosis, it's called "Kaizen". It's a Japanese philosophy of accepting the paradoxon of improvement. Kaizen teaches you to constantly work on yourself to strive for perfection while also accepting to never reach it. If you confront westeners with that thought, they most likely say "Well, if you can't reach it, what's the point in even trying?" while Japanese will work at it, work at it and work at it, because with every day they will move a little closer to perfection.
Will Jacobs By looking at your language, I don't even understand why you're looking a video like this. And upvoting your own comment, doesn't make it any better.
Will Jacobs That argument is laughable at best. I was raised by a jobless single mother and everything I earned in my life, my apartment, my car, everything, I worked for. If you are such a fail in life that you're not even able to afford to visit a proper bar once or twice in a month, then I'm really sorry for your parents to raise such human failure.
In the first minute everyone interviewed in documentary comes off as a egomaniac with delusions of grandeur. You're a bartender, the job isnt THAT important.
just love for what you do. even if you are cleaning the street - it is a job and it is important. happiness derives from gratitude, as dose respect for yourself and others- and their jobs. what`s yours i`m curious?
Fantastic documentary. The Japanese work ethic is just unparalleled.
mexicans
When a guest comes to our bar, we hope they are a little happier when they leave.
A good bar is where a customer can leave a little happier than when they arrived.
When a guest comes into the bar, they may be having a good day or a bad day. It's our job as a bar to recognize this and tailor the experience to how they are feeling.
Making a good drink is expected, but it's about the small details and constantly sharpening all of your senses to be aware of your guests.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you for posting it! I think Frank Cisneros hits the nail right on the head when he draws the parallel between the aesthetic that's found in Japanese bartending and the tea ceremony. I'm reminded of the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" (if anyone reading this hasn't seen it, do yourself a favor). That's the first time I heard the term "shokunin"; someone committed to the relentless pursuit of perfection in their craft. It's so humbling to be able to watch shokunin at work.
I go to a lot of bars in Japan (and Taiwan as well) and I would often start talking with the bartenders or regulars about how I was amazed by how different the bars are here compared to back in the west. They told me it was because bartending was considered more of an art form here. The goal of going to a bar is to have a good drink, not to get drunk or party. I feel like a lot of bars in the west either serve the purpose of 1) getting people drunk and partying 2) giving people a place to drink while watching sports 3) giving people a place to have dinner while enjoying a drink. There aren't very many bars there whose only purpose is just for the enjoyment and appreciation of alcohol.
That really comes down to the fact that we in the west don't generally go to bars in order to appreciate the alcohol. If more people wanted that I am sure there would be more bars like it. I lived in China for about ten years and the bars I had there served either of two purposes. 1: A place to go for sports not available on regullar Chinese TV, games (pool, darts etc.) and beer.... 2: Live music bar with a larger selection of cocktails as well as beer.
There was no demand for a cocktail lounge like bar and the likes in my area. Most custommers were off-shore engineers and/or sailors and all they care about was a place to have a good time while they were ashore.
Patrons shape the bar environment, not the other way around :)
This is unfair. You're comparing the worst bars in a less urbanized, more massive country to some of the best in an extremely urbanized one. It's like comparing McDonald's to a five star steakhouse.
@@KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin what is a five star steakhouse?
@@jaczekdertuerke a very good steakhouse
@@KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin there is no such thing as five star steakhouses
The Japanese Anime 'Bartender' inspired me to look up the documentary. 🏯
mrclueuin me as well. Great show
mrclueuin same here. 😊
i wished to be served at least once in my lifetime. i need to experience this delicacy and astute attention to detail
Very nice score.
Whats the first song they play? I know I've heard it, it's very Gary Numan-esqe
Hey there! It's an original score by Alan Kropf and Hunter Lea. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Amazing. We have a bar here in my city that has a traditional american bar or if you are brave enough and dont mind paying a premium you can wonder upstairs into a small room where the bartender assists you much like the bar tenders in this film. We paid about $35 for a apple martini and Negroni. Totally worth it when you have something done with such care. It really impacts the way the drinks tastes and treats you.
Fantastic iam a bartender too loved it more vdo s pls
If more people in North America watched this they would understand me. I love the drink.. not being drunk. I get bummed out when I get drunk because I can’t have another drink. 🔮
This is a very different experience... i went to bar fiddich (NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE) and there were barely 12 patrons, the service was afuckingmazing, its like the concierge for bartending. I was in the mood for whiskey and my gf was in the mood for tequila, both of the drinkd were amazing to said the least.
MaKos2004 and what do the drinks cost? Comparing what they talk about to the small bar I go to and to have only 20% the number of guests are the drinks $75 a piece?
Amazing soundtrack.
know where i can find the soundtrack??
Can't wait to experience the difference in bar culture.
Really enjoyed this! Fascinating to learn about how they perceive something so seemingly simple as ice.
The ethos of the Tea Ceremony has been copied for cocktails. Beautiful to watch.
Is very simple and it has become all about tips, in US we get pay so little, that it hurts when a costumer that you gave the best service doesn’t tip you the right amount, and i think if i didn’t had that pressure my first years as bartender would have been the best. I hate costumers but they are the main reason why I love been a bartender, seen them discover drinks for the same time, and having fun conversation, you do build a lot of bonds, sometimes you’ll switch jobs and old costumers for the first place you work at recognize you. Making a drink is somehow therapeutic, mixing the ingredients, using the right amount and making it balance, is all about balance of flavors and densities coming together to create this beautiful pice of art, meant to be enjoy by people, the noise of the shaker, that will be my favorite part. It is at the beginning, Long night and a lot of pressure sometimes, and you rally don’t deal whit the nicest people all the time . But i would love to master this life style, it wouldn’t be so bad. Don’t mind this, I’m just sharing some thoughts on this quarantine.
Wow , just love how the culture of Japanese bartending 🍹😊👍 . Got alot to learn
Very good short movie. Sadly most bars today have lost that trait on taking care of their guests. Id like to experience japanese bartending someday.
Although I love japanese bartending, I don´t think you could do it somewhere else.
As they say it in the Video, often its about 1 bartender for 4-6 people.
I mean I was there once and I loved it, but I couldn´t afford a japanese bar if it would be in my hometown.
10-15€ cover charges, plus about 15€ minimum per cocktail.
+eberbacher007 goodness, that's quite expensive!
In Germany you'll face similar costs per cocktail in a proper bar but you have to remember that neither Germany nor Japan has a tipping-culture. The prices are based on costs for ingredients, costs for running the business and wages of the barmen. Also, taxes are always included in the price of every single cocktail.
People whine about tipping in the U.S. but they forget that we never know the actual price of much of anything. A $10.00 cocktail has another 6-9% tax and a 15% tip (of the post-tax amount) on top of it.
Danielsan B
Yes, it's pretty hard to run a proper bar in the US. Many barkeepers and bartenders have to live off of the tips, because the whole income is needed to cover the costs and there is no rest to take for private-life.
14:50 "When guest comes to our bar, we hope they are little happier when they leave" I need to hit this bar.
Really tight little doc. Many interesting details. Some of these are familiar faces to me as well.
can you make this into an episodic series would love very much!
Beautiful beautiful work. 🔮
I would appreciate this more if there are more interviews from Japanese bartenders, less American ones. It's not the American specialists not good, just this content is so unbalanced. Don't forget the name of the documentary is about Japanese.
I agree, extremely weird way to present this information with so many American talking heads. Barely any action shots as well.
The biggest difficulty there is that few Japanese bartenders speak English, and the ones who do are still pretty reluctant to do press.
Hi, very nice movie, i was transported to Japan for 17 minutes.
Can anybody tell me how to find the glas with cover at min 4:40 ?
Bar benfiddich in shinjuku
Truly humbling.
I bartend in the northeast United States. I try to bring some Japanese techniques to the table, but the reality is that Americans don’t have the patience for the attention to detail. It’s all about speed and volume here. But damn, I’d love to own a bar that completely emulated Japanese techniques.
Extremely great.
Japanese bartenders are the ultimate in ASMR
Great to watch and very informative. Thanks!
There is many different bar style and costume and I really appreciate the Japanese style . It's make me want to be more caring towards my guests even while working in a busy bar . But respect is is givin n taken 🙏
Beautiful!
Beautiful.
Fantastic
What are the names of the bars these Japanese bartenders are working in?
This is not about American vs. Japanese bartending. This is really about American vs. the Japanese way of doing things. The Japanese just take everything to another level.
Just amazing
The show should happen after the guest receives and tastes the drink, not during preparation. These bartenders are craftspeople, and so the spectacle of mixing a drink feels more similar to watching a woodworker than a juggler. Great film!
the fuck you saying mang?
Really well made! Well done
Truly inspiring.
Inspirational!
One of the best country in world...🙌🙌
Kayama-san?! YAAAS
All I could think was "I really hope he washed his hands before handling that ice"
What's the song starting at 8:10?
A thing of beauty...
"theyre made for a quick dump"
Fleet Enema advertisement.
You should be in marketing.
Well I'm not surprised these people feel the way they do about bartending. The thing that got me into making drinks in the first place was a Japanese manga about a bartender
Which manga?
@@steve5024 it's called bartender. It's 130 chapters long
What is the very last song at the end, please? It is gorgeous.
It is part of the original score by Alan Kropf & Hunter Lea. The individual songs do not have titles. We’re glad you enjoy it!
The background music is way too loud, distracting :(
Hi I am looking at making some sort of a similar thing on India so would really like your review and thoughts on the idea
Err... Can someone tell Camper English that his eyewear matches several serial killers? (Love his line about Japanese bartending being light a slight-of-hand magic trick while American bartending is more like a circus juggling act.)
I WOULD DRINK EVERY LAST ONE OF THOSE COCKTAILS HAHAHAHA
Can you suggest some good Japanese style bar in Tokyo?!
Love Love Love
100 patrons USA
China 12 3 bartenders
We have a lot of alcoholics
i'm learning with that
Amazing watch. For some time now, I've been looking for a high quality bar tools brand and it seems if anyone would have a strong preference, it would be the Japanese. Does anyone here have an idea what they might be using?
Korin.com
Where the pros go
Agreed with that comment but I would just go ahead and look at their website and found something similar but cheaper elsewhere.
The art of taste
i wonder if in the context of covid-19 regulations, we might see a shift towards this style of bartending in the states. we're being mandated to operate at significantly reduced capacities, and it may be an opportunity for us to attempt to excel at a calmer, more sophisticated, more attentive style of bartending to better serve our guests and our communities.
of course, that's predicated on the american people being willing to accept what's quickly becoming a new normal, which if the last month of "reopening" is any indication, is not fucking happening anytime soon.
Good
8:2 different ice ratio, Wow...
Where can I get this treatment in San Diego?
Head west ~6,000 miles. ;)
10:50 ITS KAYAMA-SAN!!!!
do they have yelp in Japan?
Ricardo Ramirez From what I know, in Japan, they use a website called Tabelog. It's very similar to Yelp.
Japanese respect all trades and skills. In America, Americans shit on you for working at a restaurant
I prefer the whole culture on gastronomy in japan. As far as I know eating outside of your home is a thing people do more generally there.
That's true and it's mainly because eating outside is cheaper than buying fresh meat and veggies to cook for yourself. That's also why premade and packed lunches out of the fridge at the Japanese convenience stores are so popular.
Will Jacobs But is it as cheap?
Great sandwiches? In Japan? You literally know nothing about the world, do you?
Will Jacobs So, you admit you know nothing about the world then? Confirmed.
Will Jacobs New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, Tokyo, Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (look it up), Hong Kong, Fiji, London, Paris, Munich, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Bonaire, Aruba, Belize, and Honduras. Never been to Missouri.
tune down the background-noise when the Japanese are talking - you can hardly understand them.
Otherwise: very interesting
cool
ENERGY IT IS CALLED
👌
In regards to the ratio of bartender to people, I always wondered why establishments would have so few bartenders! It is crazy. You get poor drinks, no service and a chaotic atmosphere. I stopped drinking in places like that. We are no different then the Japanese. We want to enjoy a good drink too. Last, I always thought of bartending like a chef. You are making great creative, good and tasty food or in this case drink. We used to provide better service in USA but now we want everything fast including our Manhattan versus good quality. Sigh.....
profits. why pay 20 people when 10 will get the job done?
@@krustykruss9685 Bingo..
"Let's make a film about bartending in Japan, 80% of which will be interviews with random people in New York". Why?
Patavinity LOL
To make you compare both bartending cultures from different points of view
they are probably everything but definitely not random! ;)
They worked in several great bars in New York. One of them is Death&Co. Know before you write buddy
THIS
Thank his im. It living in Japan, I'd probably be an alcoholic if I lived in japan
Holy shit why is the music so fucking loud when they are speaking it is so hear them
Volume boost when ppl spoke japanese was very frustrating, drowned them out.. why? Would have been fantastic if ONLY japanese ppl were interviewed and WAY less intrusive music
China 🇨🇳 hospitality is how it should be greet people walk people in a helping manner.
"we can't damage the ice"
then proceeds to pour a shit ton of ice shards on top of the cocktail
also people in japan judge some of you talent based on how the ice shards are on top of the cocktail lol. that's just some bullshit.
that means you don't understand the importance of the journey of the entire experience. from the moment you enter and exit the establishment, not just the drink that has been served in front of you. You may not care for that warmed towel in an exact temperature that they hand to you on a cold winter night or that your drink sits perfectly center on the coaster. Most wont even realize these things, but for the Japanese this culture is embedded: the customers satisfaction is their pride of a job well done. Its an honour for them and don't even try tipping.
Why are they asking everyone EXCEPT, you know, Asians? Let alone Japanese people
15:39 The Angostura bottle is not facing the correct direction 🤭. What kind of dysfunctional world are you living in?!?!
Americans excluding me, and a few like me, have very little sophistication. Sorry.
Wow. How depressing. I don’t want to watch Americans describing anything to be fair but this one is really bad. Can any one point me in the direction of some good Japanese cocktail videos by Japanese people please?
Change the title to "The way to make a career when you have Obsessive compulsive disorder"
seriously this is a neurosis, those guys are suffering.
It's not neurosis, it's called "Kaizen". It's a Japanese philosophy of accepting the paradoxon of improvement. Kaizen teaches you to constantly work on yourself to strive for perfection while also accepting to never reach it.
If you confront westeners with that thought, they most likely say "Well, if you can't reach it, what's the point in even trying?" while Japanese will work at it, work at it and work at it, because with every day they will move a little closer to perfection.
Get the fuck over yourself, it's a fucking bar.
Will Jacobs
By looking at your language, I don't even understand why you're looking a video like this. And upvoting your own comment, doesn't make it any better.
Will Jacobs
That argument is laughable at best. I was raised by a jobless single mother and everything I earned in my life, my apartment, my car, everything, I worked for.
If you are such a fail in life that you're not even able to afford to visit a proper bar once or twice in a month, then I'm really sorry for your parents to raise such human failure.
Will Jacobs
With your first posting you already presented yourself to the world as a no-brainer, there is no reason to further engage in that manner.
In the first minute everyone interviewed in documentary comes off as a egomaniac with delusions of grandeur. You're a bartender, the job isnt THAT important.
GntSquid when you are bartending to people with pockets so deep they can't find the bottom, it is pretty important
NVR guru no, it's really not.
GntSquid i don't know about you, but i would way prefer what these guys are making rather than the average bartender
Because having pride in what you do is such a terrible thing. They love what they do and they want to do the best job they can.
just love for what you do. even if you are cleaning the street - it is a job and it is important. happiness derives from gratitude, as dose respect for yourself and others- and their jobs. what`s yours i`m curious?
Very interesting............
cool