Bartender Riff on a Classic - The Aussie Ball, Takuma Watanabe

The Aussie Ball

Photos by David La Roda

AN AUSTRALIAN RIFF ON A HIGHBALL WITH BARTENDER TAKUMA WATANABE

Getting his start in Japan as a barista, Takuma has worked as a bartender for the past nine years. He placed in the Top 10 World Class and Casa Noble cocktail competitions and gained global bartending experience from Limantour in Mexico City, Mikimoto Pearl in Singapore, and many others. As head bartender at Angel's Share, one of New York's oldest speakeasies, he riffs on classic cocktails to satisfy his passion for moving past the boundaries of tradition.

Takuma noticed a Highball trend hitting NYC bars and wanted to create a more complex version. His Aussie Ball cocktail is a Highball inspired by a combination of native Australian ingredients.

From the start, he wanted to use an innovative whisky that he’d never used before. He chose Starward whisky. “Whisky from Australia, which isn’t yet a location known for whisky production, inspired me to push myself,” he says. “I especially admire their passion for trying new combinations regarding barrels and blends.”

Takuma’s Aussie Ball resulted in more depth from using passion fruit and coffee, along with a slight acidity from the addition of white balsamic vinegar. According to Takuma, “It’s a twist on a well-known classic, which I think is perfect for a whisky as innovative as Starward.”

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