Not only do you get awesome geeky cocktails here, but also a ritzy bar experience!
If you’re a serious fan of something, then you’re not gonna stop at just watching the anime or playing the game. No, you’re going to buy (and possibly wear) mountains of merchandise, find ways to spend quality time with your favorite characters, reenact your favorite scenes and dances, and visit every themed cafe you can find.
Our Japanese language reporter Kouhey is one such super fan, of the iconic sci-fi franchise Star Wars. One of his favorite things to do is scope out things related to the series, so he was pretty excited to find a bar in Yokohama that serves Star Wars-themed cocktails, especially since the Rise of Skywalker just came out in theaters last week. But the experience proved to be more than a fanboy’s dream; it was a world-class bar experience.
The bar is called Cocktail Bar Nemanja, and is located in the Kannai area of Yokohama, about half-an-hour south of Tokyo. Serving the cocktails there was the bartender and owner, Tomoyuki Hojo, who is actually a really impressive guy; he’s one of the top bartenders in the country. He’s won numerous prizes in cocktail competitions in Japan and all over the world, and is currently serving as the honorary president of the All Japan Flair Bartenders, which allows him to serve as a judge in major international bartending competitions.
That illustrious Mr. Hojo created this cocktail for Kouhey:
An R2-D2 cocktail!
What most impressed Kouhey was that the R2-D2 shape was perfectly designed to fit the size of the glass. The cocktail itself was fruity with a refreshing flavor, with just the right amount of alcohol to complement it.
Next, Mr. Hojo made a cocktail inspired by the newest frontrunner of the Dark Side, Kylo Ren.
Kouhey thought it was a masterful work of art. The use of the jet black lid and straw, contrasting with the deep red of the drink, made it the perfect image of the Dark Side. The Kylo Ren figurine on top of the glass was the final touch making this cocktail a big hit for Kouhey.
In fact he was so satisfied by how it looked that he was happy to give it to another customer, a young woman who had been eyeing it from her seat next to him. He asked her what she thought of it, and she said, “Yeah, it’s delicious!”
Kouhey felt it would be weird to ask her in more detail about how it tasted, so he could only tell you what he thought it was like. Based on its appearance, the Kylo Ren cocktail had a thick texture like a smoothie, and appeared to be much less fruity than the first drink.
Finally, to cap off Kouhey’s already awesome experience, Mr. Hojo brought from the back room a pitch-black drink epitomizing the darkness in all of us: Darth Vader.
For Kouhey, the character that represents the Star Wars franchise is not the titular hero Luke Skywalker nor the wise old Obi Wan Kenobi, but the iconic villain Darth Vader, so his heart began to race when he laid eyes on this gem. And what came out of the smoky, life-size helmet was:
A mojito-style cocktail decorated with plenty of mint!
Then Mr. Hojo pulled something out of the mini Darth Vader mask and attached it to the drink…
Which turned out to be a lightsaber!
Now it was ready to drink, but what Kouhey really appreciated most about this cocktail was the theatrics. From the time it was brought out to the final creation, it was very entertaining! The flavor was a similar refreshing taste to the first one, but the addition of smoke and the staging of the reveal were perfect.
Kouhey was immensely satisfied. He’d never expected to be able to enjoy the Star Wars franchise so thoroughly at a bar! They even serve a Yoda-inspired cocktail, which is presented by a giant Yoda figure, though Kouhey didn’t order it himself.
And on top of that, being served by Mr. Hojo himself was an honor, and it was exciting to have such a fancy bar experience. Nemanja also serves classic cocktails and fancy Mixology cocktails, and they have some rare alcohol that is hard to find in Japan, so there is plenty for everyone to enjoy. Kouhey highly recommends visiting this bar if you find yourself in the area!
Bar Information
Cocktail Bar Nemanja / カクテルバーネマニャ
Address: Kanagawa-ken Yokohama-shi Naka-ku Aioi-cho 1-2-1 Pare Kannai 6F
神奈川県横浜市中区相生町1丁目2-1 パレカンナイ6階
Hours: 18:00 to 2:00 (18:00 to 23:00 on Saturdays) Closed Sundays and Holidays
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[ Read in Japanese ]