You Won’t Believe This $35 Cocktail at the Four Seasons Oahu
It’s a drink and a table-side performance
I never thought that I could bring myself to spend $35 on a cocktail. But as I sipped on the A5 Wagyu old-fashioned at the Four Seasons in Oahu’s Manalo Lounge, I knew that this drink was totally worth it.
This bespoke (expensive) drink isn’t extremely complex. There’s not a bunch of farm-to-table mulled herbs or other strange additions.
Instead, it’s a classic old-fashioned that’s executed in a unique and performative way. The drink itself is made with Japanese whiskey, which gives it a smoother and more mellow flavor right off the bat.
That’s mixed with bitters, sugar, and a twist of orange. Again, nothing groundbreaking there.
What set this drink apart, though, was the way it’s presented. When you order it, a server brings it to your table under a glass dome. The dome is filled with wood smoke.
As the smoke wafts around the drink, the server removes a plug from the top of the dome, gently lifts it off, and fans the smoke around the drink and your table.
The smoke lends a subtle flavor to the drink, but it also creates a lingering campfire smell in the air as it dissipates.
That smoking is the perfect complement to the intensity of the Japanese whiskey in your drink. A giant, square ice cube keeps the drink at the perfect temperature in Oahu’s tropical heat.
I was a little skeptical about whether a $35 cocktail could be worth it. I certainly wouldn’t be ordering one of these every day! But after trying it, it’s definitely worth the experience.
You’re not just getting a drink, but also a little performance. Also, it raises the question of what else we can serve in a dome filled with smoke. Maybe pair some cheese next time?
Originally published at https://bayareatelegraph.com on August 1, 2024.
