Inside Suntory Whisky Toki’s Hi-Fi Listening Experience In NYCTOKI-O Nights gave a glimpse into izakaya culture, fusing food and music for a one-of-a-kind experience.
A pouring ritual comes in many forms. In Japan, the ingredients, presentation and precise technique of creating a highball is a highly respected art form, and the tasting experience is equally rife with sentiment. Celebrating one of Japan’s favorite cocktails in a modern setting, Suntory Whisky Toki threw a tasting and listening experience in the heart of NYC. Held at Lower Manhattan’s hi-fi listening cafe Silence Please, TOKI-O Nights paid homage to Tokyo’s famed izakayas and cultural spaces that transform into after-work stomping grounds, distinguished by delicious food, atmospheric music and good company.
Concept spaces inspired by Tokyo have garnered global recognition, with major cities like Miami, NYC, Tokyo, LA and others introducing their own interpretations of the Japan’s unique bar experience. Deeply rooted in the country’s culture and heritage, the earliest iterations of listening bars in Japan appeared in the 1920s. A venerated social tradition celebrating the culinary arts, listening bars represent Japan’s vibrant pulse and appreciation for music. At Toki Whisky’s TOKI-O Nights, guests experienced a night where Tokyo’s nostalgic izakaya charm collided with today’s modern vinyl scene. Held at NYC’s Silence Please, the event blended savory skewers, refreshing highballs, and crate-digging energy into one unforgettable evening. A new video series is coming soon – showing you how to create your own izakaya night at home, from the pour to the playlist.
Upon entry, guests received a custom-designed passport card that could be used to collect Eki stamps throughout the activation. Collectible rubber Eki stamps are favored by travelers, since they often depict special landmarks and notable train stations across Japan. For this experience, guests were transported to the bustling streets of Tokyo, lined with aromatic food stalls, and encouraged to collect stamps and delight their senses across the event’s cocktail, food and DJ stalls.
Toward the back, a savory array of grilled meats and Japanese-style finger foods captured a glimpse into the izakaya dining scene. Highlighting the tapas-like ritual of sharing small plates packed with flavor, special options included pork yakitori, temaki and mini tamago sandwiches, artfully presented on skewers and bamboo-designed side dishes. The night’s cocktail of choice was the Toki Highball, prepared using Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky, club soda and an orange garnish to accentuate the whisky’s refreshing notes of honey, green apple, basil, peppermint and thyme.
The highball is a classic tasting experience for whisky lovers and highly favored in Japan, particularly for its lightweight presentation and palatability with diverse cuisine. Its complexity reveals itself through invigorating top, middle and base notes that wonderfully pair back to Tokyo’s savory street food. Other options included effervescent renderings of the summer classic Toki Mint Julep and Toki Sour.
Spinning vinyl for the night was the legendary Takuya Nakamura, a Japan-born multi-instrumentalist known for effortlessly fusing electronic, ambient and jazz. Surveying his vinyl collection while performing a live trumpet line, Nakamura introduced guests to new sonic textures that encouraged the crowd to crate dig for new artists in the cafe’s secret vinyl room. As the night came to a close, attendees who collected multiple stamps on their passport received bottles of Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky as a parting gift.
See more from TOKI-O Nights in the galleries above, and visit Toki Whisky’s website to refresh your personal bar cart.
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