Sasakura must find drinks to satisfy fussy customers — an irritable gentleman and a coarse-tongued lady.
Episode 2 — “Old Pal/One for the Road”
Hmm.
Who owns Edenhall? Who is “Maki-kun?” Because that person controls the plot in Bartender Glass of God. Worse for Miwa and the audience, it would be no help to ask Sasakura. He can’t even remember the names of people he just met. But he can tell you all about the bags they carry, the book characters they remind him of, and what temperature they prefer for their drinks. However, Sasakura now has pressure to join the Hotel Cardinal staff from the CEO and its development recruiter.
The overall plot has mysteries to solve in the identity of the owner of several high-end bars and the Glass of God’s reasons for working under him. I bet Miwa’s grandpa knows. He’s only her CEO! Isn’t nepotism great?
Knobby, Creeky Old Pal Needs a Bartender
Hilariously, Knob Creek Rye went to market in 2012, years after the original Bartender anime and manga ended. So, I had a giggle as Sasakura tried to capture Kurushima’s nostalgic tastes with a rye whiskey that never existed in the Bartender timeline. Sasakura racked his brain for something old-fashioned that could connect with Kurushima’s generation, but the liquor did not succeed. It was the method of mixing. The point that Bartender makes is that it’s not the vintage of the alcohol that matters, but the server that matters. Culture is about gestures, etiquette, and nods to the technology of the time, not antique museum pieces.
Sasakura’s slightly warmer Old Pal — an Americano or Negroni substituting rye whiskey for gin (Negroni) or club soda (Americano) with Campari, vermouth, and a citrus twist — reminded Kurushima of a bygone age. Sasakura only needed a hint about Yokohama’s harbor after World War II. Western colors and liquor temperatures captured the era’s atmosphere inside Japanese bars in the hotels. The theme of the Bartender Glass of God episode is meeting your older self. Kurushima feels nostalgic for those old times. Will we get an opposite reflection on that theme?
Bartender Blends a Hot Beefy Bullshot
The Hotel Cardinal’s CEO gave Sasakura a trial by fire, as the Final Boss should (hint, hint), so the foul-mouthed lawyer, Keiko Gotou, let him flex his usual mixing muscles. Noticing her briefcase and how a warm drink would help being caught in a sudden downpour was an average skill for a bartender. The Bullshot over ice was more popular in the 1960s than a Bloody Mary for those who liked Worcestershire sauce and pepper in spiked savory drinks. Sasakura’s hot version is spiked soup, where vodka best complements savory and salty flavors.
The switch from beef broth and tomato juice to sweet and citrus mixed drinks illustrates a broad generational shift. We also try not to take “one for the road” anymore. Don’t drink and drive, people! But Sasakura connected that past tradition to saying farewell to the past you of the day. Leave your old self to yesterday and greet the next day fresh.
The best part of this vignette was how Keiko’s associate knew about the Bullshot novel, about a crusty lawyer with a heart of gold. Each book in the series of novels has cocktail names for their titles, which is why a bartender knows about it. This is how an exceptional bartender brings repeat business. He makes you remember his cocktails days later through layers of references. What will he make for you next? Come back and find out!
Tasting Notes
We usually think of cocktails and mixed drinks as something cold and sweet. But it wasn’t always that way. As we saw in the “One for the Road” chapter, cocktails can be savory, spicy, and salty. Plus, warm! The Bloody Mary is almost the same as the Bullshot, using vodka as its base. But it contains tomato juice instead of beef bouillon. To serve a Bloody Mary hot as Sasakura did for a Bullshot, use tomato soup instead of tomato juice or clamato.
Bartender Glass of God (Bartender: Kami no Glass) streams on Crunchyroll in Japanese audio and multiple language subtitles. Bartender (2006) also streams on Crunchyroll in Japanese audio and English subtitles.
Are you in the mood to greet your old self through the lens of nostalgia? Or do you need to toast the self of today goodbye? I like drinking to the day I just had and saying, “Good riddance!” How about you? Let us know in the comments below.
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