Bar Bushido
51 Wall Street
Norwalk, CT

Bar Bushido captures the essence of Japan’s beloved drinking—and dining—culture. The space has two entirely different cocktail programs operating under the same roof. In the Izakaya up front, everything is loud, fun and in your face. With the addition of some novel Japanese items, the flavors are all meant to be somewhat familiar but unexpectedly paired together in a way that makes the guest wonder how they could ever be together. The names are as fun as the drinks themselves; they’re all a bit silly or tongue-in-cheek. The Temakiya in the back is very much the opposite. Everything is streamlined into a more singular flavor profile, which each cocktail is named after. Each has some component that contains sake: whether that’s a spirit base, an infusion, a syrup or one of the stocked sake-based vermouths. The drinks crafted work more cohesively with all the delicate food and raw dishes, from snacks to sashimi and noodles.

Bar Manager: Kylie Keeley

Cocktail: The Personal Columns

Ingredients:
» 1 oz. each Planteray White and Dark rums
» 1.5 oz. Calpico
» 1 oz. tamarind/roasted red pepper syrup
» 1 oz. fresh pineapple juice
» .75 oz. fresh lime juice
» .5 oz. Planteray coconut rum float
» Garnish: pineapple frond and dehydrated pineapple slice

Method: Add all ingredients except the coconut rum into a cocktail shaker. Give it a good hard shake and strain the mixture into a large glass over well-packed crushed ice. Pour into a coconut milk can or other large-volume glass. Float the coconut rum over the top. Add garnish.

Bar Bushido’s The Personal Columns.

“This drink from our Izakaya menu, the Personal Columns, is a bit of a play on a piña colada. It’s got a lot of bright acidity to it in unexpected ways, with the tamarind and Calpico, a milk-based, non-carbonated Japanese soft drink with a yogurt-like citrusy tang. This doubles as a lighter version of the traditionally expected ‘creamy’ element,” said Kylie Keeley, Bar Manager, Bar Bushido. “The roasted red peppers are baked, blistered and stewed down with tamarind and demerara sugar to add some more savory body and depth. The richness of the added ingredients helps this drink stretch super well between seasons. Not everyone catches the name reference either, but if you think of the whole premise of the ‘Escape (The Piña Colada Song),’ you’ll figure it out pretty quickly. It’s such a fun cocktail and definitely raises the question ‘Which drink is that?’ when that fun coconut can is brought through the room.”