Drunk in Japan

I just got home from an exhausting work week. I decided to head to Ajisen Ramen for some boba milk tea. While others have beer, wine or gin tonics to alleviate a hard week, I typically go for boba. It's flavorful, and I don't worry about turning flush red! Ajisen Ramen does a decent job with their milk tea flavors. I go for regular milk tea and green tea (or matcha).

I am addicted to unique flavored drinks. When I visited Kyoto several years ago, my friends and I found a tiny bar in a clean alley (yes, it's possible in Japan!) no larger than most S.F. kitchens. It could only seat 6 people, and we were kindly invited in with "Irrashaimase!" This was a nice change from the welcome we received in Tokyo, which could be unfriendly at times, but more on that in another conversation. We asked the bartender for his recommendation. He began mixing vodka with liquid sugar, then poured black tea into a martini shaker. It was a sweetened barley tea cocktail, and it was SO GOOD! If I remember right, the bar name is Azure in the Gion district. Cheers to a fond memory in Japan. Kampai!