Tatenokawa Shuzo’s “Yoko Bar” series seems to launch a new product almost every two months these days, thanks to the stellar reputation of their citrus-based fruit liqueurs. Seeing the success, the brewery is eager to keep the momentum going. This time, however, their ginger liqueur takes a completely different direction from previous Yoko Bar offerings. After sampling it with colleagues—even those who aren’t usually fans of ginger were full of praise and we immediately decided to bring it in.

Let’s start with tasting it neat. On the nose, it offers a fresh and invigorating ginger aroma, but without overwhelming pungency—just a pleasantly clean, inviting scent. The body is light, with a moderate sweetness lingering on the tongue, while the warming ginger spice spreads through the mouth. The balance between sweetness and spicy ginger is exceptional. The finish is long-lasting, leaving a strong impression reminiscent of a bold ginger ale.

Beyond drinking it straight, the official suggestions include mixing it with soda water, beer, or even whisky. While carbonated mixers like soda or beer seem natural, mixing with whisky might sound a bit unusual—but give it a try!

Mix regular malt whisky with the ginger liqueur at a 1:4 ratio. The ginger aroma softens, losing any sharpness and allowing a touch more sweetness to come through. The flavors of malt and oak from the whisky blend beautifully with the ginger, adding extra complexity to the aftertaste. It remains easy to drink, but with added playfulness—highly recommended!

If you’re a fan of the Yoko Bar series, you’ll know that each bottle’s illustration tells a little story from bartender Yoko’s life. The bearded man on this bottle is actually a skater, and Yoko’s former lover. Every time he visits her bar, he inevitably falls asleep after a couple of drinks. Worried that he’ll catch a cold while napping, yet hoping to keep him awake, Yoko developed this ginger cocktail to warm him up and keep him alert…