For the month of October, Banchō Bar, the only ‘small bar’ in Sydney’s Chinatown, will be serving a limited-edition menu of vodka cocktails inspired by the stars and the Japanese star festival tanabata.
In partnership with Japanese craft vodka Haku, Banchō will feature a menu of vodka cocktails that tell the story of star-crossed lovers in the mythological legend behind the tanabata festival.
“We’ve taken inspiration from the stars and the legend of deities Orihime and Hikoboshi who were lovers separated by the Milky Way, only allowed to meet once a year,” says venue manager Yoshi Onishi.
“Our tanabata celebrations are a little COVID-delayed but we’re glad to be able to host guests again in our space for a special night out. We’ll have stars covering the ceiling at Banchō while guests will be invited to write their wishes on traditional tanzaku paper and tie it to the bamboo plants in-venue all month.”
Guests purchasing any of the special Haku Vodka cocktails will receive a tanzaku which will also give them the chance to win a staycation package at Banchō’s adjoining boutique hotel, The Ultimo, complete with one-on-one astrology reading from the hotel’s resident astrologer and drinks at Banchō.
“It’s the perfect time for a Sydney staycation,” says Banchō owner-operator Jason Ang. “And thanks to our lovely neighbours at The Ultimo, we’re able to give away a weekend stay in a studio room, plus in-depth astrology reading with their resident astrologer. Top off the stay with a drinks tab at Banchō and a sneaky bottle of Haku Vodka too.”
The Haku Vodka cocktails by Banchō include:
- Tentei: Haku Vodka, sake, black goji berry & chrysanthemum, sencha tea, honey and aquafaba,
- Orihime: Haku Vodka, Campari, prosecco, mirin, lime and strawberry & lotus leaf syrup,
- Hikoboshi: Haku Vodka, Amaro Montenegro, red bean, cream, honey & black walnut bitters,
- Heavenly River: Haku Vodka, nigori (cloudy) sake, vermouth and orange bitters.
The Haku Vodka cocktails will be available at Banchō from 1-31 October, with The Ultimo staycation prize drawn in the first week of November 2020. Prize entrants must purchase a Haku Vodka cocktail and complete a tanzaku paper with their contact details to be eligible for the draw.
For more information, go to banchobar.com.au
Tentei Cocktail
Ingredients
- 15mls Lemon Juice
- 30mls egg white
- 60mls of fortified Sake-style infusion
- 15mls Vodka (Haku)
Instructions
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain back into the shaker. Dry Shake, then fine strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a paper crane.
To make fortified Sake Style infusion – add dried chrysanthemum flowers, sencha tea, black goji berries, and honey to a mix of Sake and Vodka and let steep overnight.
