"Go around the beaches and let's have a list of the best seaside bars," said my editor. In this heat? Not a chance. But here's something better: five refreshing cocktail recipes from a quintet of great bartenders. Each of these invigorating drinks was designed to zap your summer indolence and clear the sweat from your brow. As they say, alcohol can't solve all life's problems — but it can sure sort out some of them.
Kanon (Sound of Summer)
Kazuya Watanabe, Keio Plaza Hotel/Japan Hotel Bartenders Association president
Watanabe may be one of Japan's most common surnames, but when I talk to bartenders about a Watanabe-san, most of them know who I mean. More than once I've heard him described as the finest bartender in the country. Sadly, Watanabe rarely tends bar these days, focusing instead on training the crew in Shinjuku's Keio Plaza Hotel. So perhaps it's appropriate that he chose a recipe devised by one of his proteges. Kanon (pictured far right) is an incredible drink that teases your tongue with sweetness then jabs it with a sour kick.