Ride a nondescript elevator to the 9th floor of a commercial building in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and you’ll step out of 21st century Japan and into the fantastical, apothecary-inspired parallel universe that is Bar Benfiddich, one that bridges the past and the present, reverie and reality.

Along with an extensive display of cultural relics from a bygone era, the bar back is lined with homemade tinctures, infusions, and aged and herbal liquors, not unlike a warlock’s laboratory. Twisting vines of mugwort are supplemented by taxidermy owls, over 100 varieties of absinthe in earth-dusted opaque bottles, chemistry tools that belong at Hogwarts, and one-of-a-kind vintage glassware, each with its own backstory that augments the tale told through the ingredients poured inside it. 

Tuck into the onyx-hued walnut counter to meet owner and bartender Hiroyasu Kayama, a man who wears many hats – mixologist, farmer, ingredient curator, mad scientist, and curio collector. Whisper your deepest drink desires and watch the wizard at work, a one-man show synchronously orchestrated so that each vial of mystery liquid, each fresh herb, each meticulously sliced citrus peel is placed in his hand by a barback lingering in the shadows before it’s even fully extended to ask for it.

Kayama cut his teeth in the world of hotel mixology from ’04-‘08 before accepting the position of head bartender at Bar Amber from ’08-‘13. But the accolades began pouring in after the opening of his 15-seater Bar Benfiddich in 2013, including (most recently) the 2023 Roku Industry Icon. Trading in his work boots and gardening tools for a tailored white sport coat and cocktail shaker, Kayama’s chemistry-leaning approach to mixology embodies his farm-to-glass tagline. 

Hand-carrying the roots, foraged flora, and vegetation native to Japan into the bar, he employs ingredients from his family-owned farm in Saitama, just 90 kilometers from Tokyo. Everything from juniper berries to wormwood, from anise to fennel are harvested to enhance his bespoke “non-menu.” Think homemade Campari blended to order (rather than pouring directly from the bottle like ‘everyday’ bartenders), or the ever-evolving Seasonal Forest cocktail that sees a balance of herbs and aromatic-infused liquors combined to embody temporal fragrances. 

Bar Benfiddich, 9F, 1 Chome-13-7, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, 160-0023 Tokyo

This article was originally published on the Asia's 50 Best Bars website here. 

[All images courtesy of Bar Benfiddich]