This was the first year that The House of Suntory DOJO invited bartenders in the UK to apply to take part in its revered advocacy programme. Twenty were selected and at the end of the meticulously curated sessions showcasing all aspects of Japanese craftsmanship, one person was named Best in Class: Gabriel St. John Tucker from Amaro Bar London. We caught up with him to hear about his journey.
Huge congratulations on your win. Let’s start with why DOJO?
Like most bartenders when they’re starting out, I looked at the cocktail competitions on offer and at the time, a lot of the bartenders that I was following on social media were talking about one particular programme: DOJO.
One of the things I noticed was the ice knives that they gave out at the end of the competition. It wasn’t that I wanted a knife. It was more like, “what is that? How do I get involved? And how do I have the experiences that they had?” Later when I came to London my colleague, Mathieu was taking part in the programme and the experiences he was having, what he was learning and the development that he was making in his career, made me really want to take part.
What had you heard about the programme before taking part?
Some close friends had taken part in DOJO, so I’d always had an insight into what goes on – the workshops, the pottery – all the details that come together over the course of the programme. As well as those things, I’d heard about the sense of community, the professional development, the knowledge and tastings that are an integral part of the course. And, I thought, “that’s pretty cool. I want a bit of that for me.”
You’ve heard that a number of bartenders applied this year as it was the first time that applications have been open rather than invitation only. How did it feel when you found out that you had secured your place?
It was really, really exciting. Honestly, I’ve been bothering Raffaele [Di Monaco, The House of Suntory UK Ambassador] for about two years about DOJO. I’d messaged him continuously and said, ‘Can I have a spot?’ And as this year was open application, I felt that I could properly justify why I should be allowed to take part in the competition.
What did you hope to get from the programme once you found out you’d made the cut?
So many things. I was looking forward to meeting talented bartenders from around the UK, understanding how they do things in their bars and the community aspect of it all. The other thing that really appealed was that I wanted to try some of the products in The House of Suntory portfolio that I’d not had the opportunity to either build knowledge on or to taste. And then of course, I was looking forward to the whole experience.
I was also looking forward to spending time in and experiencing the Dojima Sake Brewery, which is a small pinch of Japan in the UK – being able to see it, eat the food, experience the environment, even sitting in the garden – everything about it was just so beautiful. I didn’t go into the programme thinking that I was going to win – just being part of it was a fantastic experience.
That was what you hoped to get from the programme. Now, on reflection, what did you get from the programme?
Apart from the trip to Japan, which I’m very excited about, I built confidence in my knowledge about Suntory products and I’m able to apply that into my bar work. The programme helped me think about the way that I approach my drinks and my hospitality. I can take elements of what I’ve learned now and use them in my day-to-day.
I know you’ve taken part in other competitions, but how does this differ to other programmes or competitions that you’ve taken part in to date?
The first thing is, you don’t feel the pressure of a competition. You’re there to support each other and, at the end of the day, you’re only competing against yourself – the drinks you’re making are all going to be completely different classics.
I love the fact that you learn as you’re going along, everything is going to be slowly revealed to you over the course of time. So you can slowly build the learnings and your Kaizen Classic into something special.
Now tell me how the programme unfolded, the structure of it and how it worked for you.
It started with the application process. Again, I bothered Raff to find out how I could get on to the programme. He told me to be patient as there might be something coming up.
And so when it was announced on The Cocktail Lovers that applications were open, I put a lot of time and effort into thinking about the application before submitting it. The second part of the process was where we had to convince Raff that we were committed and deserved to be on the programme. And then I found out I’d secured a place!
The first part of the experience, was incredible. It was the trip to Dojima Sake Brewery for two days. Everything about it was special: from arriving on the bus and being given a welcome cup of tea, to being presented with a super comfy robe all added to that sense of feeling special and of the utmost hospitality that runs throughout the programme. You’re there, and you know that you’re welcome. You’re ready to learn. We then found out what our classic was. I was given the Haku Collins.
After that we went straight into tastings, and in between the tastings, are the workshops or more specifically, the Monozukuri sessions. One of the early ones was the Ikebana workshop, where we got to make our own flower arrangement adhering to the Japanese principles.
Obviously, we’re not going to master a skill that takes years, but the sessions are designed to give everyone taking part a unique opportunity to think into it. The programme really builds on these small pieces of Japanese culture that, for a lot of us, go unseen. DOJO is structured in a way that allows us to apply our learnings within our everyday work lives in the bar.
Which of the Monozukuri sessions stood out most for you and why?
A particular stand out for me was seeing at how koji rice is made and being able to understand and appreciate the process that goes into the base spirit for Haku Vodka. That was very special and really, really beautiful.
But also, there were the tastings. What really impressed me was the attention to detail. Everything is so thought out, so considered – from the uniform that the global bartending team wear, to the way they lay out the tables. It’s all so intentional and meaningful.
Which has benefitted you most behind the bar?
The one that benefitted me most behind the bar, not necessarily in service, but thinking about making drinks and the way we put them on the menu, was the garnish challenge. Basically we had to take a highball and garnish it and whoever garnished it in the best way would win the challenge.
I went over and above what I should probably have used for a garnish and I remember Raff saying, ‘is that the way you would garnish it behind your own bar?’ That made me pull things back a bit and think about the way I approached my drinks at work: should I go to an extreme or should I pare things back for a more subtle take which could be developed over time? But I’d say when it comes to knowledge, every single workshop, along with the tastings gave me a very strong idea of how to sell the products and what actually goes into them. It’s encouraged me to study the other spirits behind my bar as well.
And which has had the most impact on you personally?
Probably the final challenge. The emotional impact of winning is a big one. Making my drink with the other bartenders around me, tasting it to make sure it was right, all of the time and effort that was put into the details and then going and having a luxury whisky tasting after – it was one of those perfect days.
Let’s talk about your Kaizen Classic – the Haku Collions. First of all, let’s go back to how you felt when you were allocated the drink?
The two drinks I really wanted were the Penicillin or the Clover Club. The Clover Club because I have two friends who have done the Clover Club in the competition and the Penicillin because I thought I could probably do a really good one. But then I pulled out the Haku Collins and I just thought, ‘you know what, I’m going to go with it.’
It’s a very simple drink – just soda, sugar, lemon and Haku vodka, and building it up into Kaizen Classic definitely was a difficult challenge. When I approached making it, I always came back to what The House of Suntory’s core values are: subtle, refined, yet complex. I wanted to elevate every flavour and element within my drink.
Last year for the first time, the competitors provided feedback on each other’s drinks. Did that happen this year and if so, how was it for you?
Everyone was a bit reluctant to say what they thought at first but after a few of us quipped in we were all willing say ‘hey, you can do this’ or, ‘if you don’t have the equipment to do this, you can come to my bar and do it’ Honestly, I didn’t feel insulted or upset when anyone gave feedback on my drink. In fact, the feedback contributed to getting my drink to where it is now because people were willing to tell me what I could improve on.
Now on to final day. What were your biggest takeaways from the experts?
I thought it was a really good way to start the day. In a way, it was also like a reward because we got an insight from these clearly talented people. From Erik Lorincz we got to understand his history with Japan, as well as an insight into what I don’t think many guests or bartenders get to see – him introducing clear ice to the UK and being one of the first to use Japanese tools – I’ve definitely felt his influence in my bar.
From Sake it was looking at the tiniest details that make Japanese hospitality fun and taking pride in what you do. Gento Torigato has always been a big inspiration for me. He spoke about his journey and how difficult it is to open a bar. As for Dave Broom, it’s just great to hear him talk – he can make anything interesting. Getting his view into how the whisky scene has changed over the years and how Scottish and Indian brands are applying this mindset of continuous improvement into their whiskies was really insightful.
Why do you think you won?
There were many people who could have won on the day – I’d say that there were probably just one or two points between us. But why did I win? I had my team behind me, I tried to be as consistent as possible, I put a lot of time into it and I really, really wanted to win the DOJO.
I also had a lot of people giving me advice and help and I listened. When it came to making the drink I was inspired by a beautiful piece of yellow washi paper upstairs in Japan House. I bought it and cut a small square and used it as a coaster. So going back to the idea of continuous improvement, I applied that to my drink, even at the very end.
If you hadn’t won, who would you have given the accolade to?
Maxwell from Waltz – his Sazerac was absolutely delicious and his garnish was really thought out.
What are you most looking forward to about your trip to Japan?
I’m really excited to see the distilleries – but really, everything: the way of life, culture, the food, the drinks – I want to see and absorb all of it.
And finally, how has The House of Suntory DOJO programme impacted you personally and professionally?
Going forward I’ll be adhering to Omotenashi – the idea of Japanese hospitality. I’ll use what I’ve learned in my every day – not just in the bar but getting up in the morning, thinking about nature and how flavours and people interact.
From my learnings from Monozukuri, the craftsmanship element, I’ve been applying that into cocktails, thinking about the quality of the ingredients, the effort that goes into them, the glassware, the ice, the tools – everything. Even in my personal life at home – if I drink something at home, I’ve been using beautiful glassware and turning every moment into a real occasion.
Five steps to a Kaizen Classic:
How Gabriel created and elevated his Haku Collins
Step one:
First things first, during the workshops, I wrote down the spec and a very basic idea for the Haku Collins but when got back to London after that first session, I went straight to Gento Torigatas’s Waltz bar and had a couple of Haku Collins’ there. I sat and contemplated the drink, then forgot about it for a few days. The thought process behind that was, I’d probably had the best Collins in London, how do I make something like that and elevate it when it’s so perfect with the basics?
Step two:
The most important thing for me was making sure that every flavour was present. Haku vodka has a very subtle rice-y note to it and I wanted to have that shine through the drink because soda and sugar and lemon can cover those things up. That immediately took me back to the seasoning workshop and I used a little bit of Honturi mirin – it’s a little sweet so it adds a sugary element which brings a lovely rice-y, sugary note that supports the Haku vodka.
Step three:
The next thing I wanted to do was to bring a lemony note to my drink. I thought I’d just use a clarified lemon juice. And for the soda element, I wanted to make sure everything was super carbonated. So I carbonated everything together. But then I had to think about how to support the lemon. So I added lemon verbena soda – no acids or sugars, just normal lemon verbena soda. But there was still something missing. Something that wasn’t there to elevate it to a Kaizen classic.
Step four:
One of my colleagues suggested that I added one more lemon element. So I made a lemon grass distillate which brings a lovely fresh, zingy flavour.
Step five:
Getting the carbonation down was a bit of a challenge. I played around with a few ratios, I also checked a book on carbonation called Bubbles. I had to think about how much carbonation I wanted: do I want it like a San Pellegrino or do I want it like a bottle of Schweppes? I then thought back to the highball challenge that we did and one of the important things was the carbonation and they want it to have almost this bite.
So I decided to keep it super carbonated so it has this almost like Champagne-like quality. One of the things that the other competitors said about the feedback for my drink was maybe it’s a little bit bitter. So I reduced the time I was infusing the lemon verbena soda, tasted it and it worked.
