Ten seats, one bartender, five-day cocktails, and no garnishes. It’s been a while since Brisbane has seen something as focused as +81 Aizome Bar, an intimate cocktail bar opening in West End today.
Designed by Alexander Lotersztain of Derlot Design, the bar is a precursor to +81, a traditional Japanese kappo-style restaurant set to open next door in February. Both venues are owned by Hisatake Kamori, who’s also co-founder of neighbouring distillery and bar By Artisans, which opened last week. Lotersztain was given creative freedom to design a modern bar that channels the charm of compact owner-operated drinking dens found in Ginza and Shinjuku.
“Japan is such an inspirational place,” says Lotersztain, who lived there in the early 2000s. “The way they approach everything, not only do they approach it with a level of craftsmanship and precision, but they do it in a very original way.”
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SUBSCRIBE NOWThe welcoming hospitality of Tokyo’s neighbourhood bars was a key element for Lotersztain. “Because of Tokyo’s density, it allows people to run owner-operated bars. The bars are [around] 30-square-metres with 10 seats and it creates an amazing relationship between the owner and customers. I wanted to bring that to Brisbane.”
Photo: courtesy of +81 Aizome Bar / Florian Groehn
The result is truly special. Step inside and you’re instantly struck by the liberal use of aizome (indigo blue) tones, matched with natural wood and leather. Every detail has been carefully considered, from the tableware – sourced from small Japanese artisans by Tokyo-Brisbane-based Champ Creative – to the rotating back bar. Still, it doesn’t take away from the star of the show: bartender Tony Huang.
Previously, Huang was a co-owner at Melbourne’s much-lauded bar Par, which closed earlier this year. He and business partner Tim Pope became known for inventing “neo cocktails” – a style of wine-like drinks made via a five-day process. The technique involves freezing botanicals at -20 degrees to break down their cell walls, steeping them in alcohol at one degree for 48 hours, and then straining, bottling and allowing them to rest. Served cold in wine glasses, the aromas and flavours “open up” as the drink slowly warms.
Photo: courtesy of +81 Aizome Bar / Florian Groehn
+81 serves six neo cocktails, including a Kiwi Sparkling Sake, Tomato Rosé and Banana Sherry. These are paired with six fresh cocktails built on the same flavours. For example, there’s the Sake Airmail (sake, kiwi fruit, basil, lime and blanc de blancs), Mary Gyokuro (red shiso shochu, green tea, spiced tare, olive oil, strawberry and tomato) and Botrytis Old Fashioned (whisky, botrytis semillon, hojicha and banana). Huang chooses to serve his cocktails garnish-free.
“We have an opportunity to create a unique experience, purely focusing on flavour and sensory components,” Huang says. “You’re in this beautiful environment and we’re going to offer top-notch Japanese hospitality. I feel like garnishes aren’t needed.”
Chef Aidan Whittle (ex-Honto) has created a contemporary Japanese-inspired snack menu to complement the drinks. There’s a summer tartlet filled with sunflower seed praline, Manchego cheese custard and caviar; satsuma-age (fried fishcake) topped with bonito cream and pickled kohlrabi; and prawn shinjo-age (fritters) with prawn head emulsion and yuzu kosho.
+81 Aizome Bar
259 Montague Road, West End
0473 958 399
Hours
Tue & Wed 5pm–10pm
Thu to Sat 5pm–midnight
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