Best mezcal bars in Tokyo

The perfect place to kick off your mezcal education, Ferri’s boasts 300 types of mezcal and tequila imported from Mexico, along with plenty of craft gin and whisky. The bar’s owner, Ferri Kadem, is an officially qualified mezcalero (mezcal connoisseur), so there’s no one better to guide you through its many mysteries.

If it’s your first encounter with the drink, ask for Los Danzantes Reposado: it strikes a good balance between earthy caramel and smoky flavours. While you’re sipping spirits, be sure to order a plate of Ferri’s nachos – they’re the perfect match for your mezcal, as is the bar’s intimate interior with its stark red walls. Add to the experience Ferri’s flowing English conversation and this is the kind of place you can easily spend too much time in.

True to its image as a luxury bar, Agave in Roppongi does not rush its customers through its drinks. With 550 kinds of mezcal and tequila in stock, ranging in price from a more affordable ¥800 per shot to a premium ¥9,400, the bar gives plenty of time for people to pick out their drinks and sip them at their own pace. In a city that thinks tequila means doing shots, the real luxury of a visit to Agave isn’t so much the extensive drink selection, it’s the atmosphere, encouraging you to take the time you need to properly savour the mezcal in your glass.

Named after the jimador, or workers who harvest the agave used for distilling, this hidden bar on the second floor of a building five minutes’ walk from Yushima Station is a dash of Mexico in the middle of Tokyo. The dark, cosy interior is flanked by bright red walls, and the bar itself is lined with carved wooden chairs. Rare tequila bottles and Mexican figurines complete the picture.

Customers can puff on Cuban cigars and sip mezcal from jicaras, traditional mezcal cups made from the fruit of the calabash tree. The Mezcarita, a mezcal-based margarita with salt and chilli powder adorning the glass rim, is not to be missed.

With a certified nutritionist as the owner, Azabujuban’s El Fujiyama offers a brandnew take on mezcal. The mezcal and tequila speciality bar tries to give its wide selection a more Japanese touch by offering customers the option of mixing it with local favourites, like shiso and soybean flour, or presenting it in a wooden vessel usually used for sake. The bar food, which must be ordered in advance, not only complements the mezcal but includes lighter options like pumpkin salad and duck tacos.

Established in 1995 as a cocktail and whisky bar, Bar Spicule pivoted to mezcal after owner Tetsu fell for the spirit in 2017. Sangrita, a spicy tomato drink traditionally used as a chaser for tequila shots, is reborn in Bar Spicule as a mixer for beer and mezcal. The Latin American ambiance and the innovative drinks here make for an unforgettable evening.

Mangosteen, the catering company that handles major festivals like Fuji Rock, is branching out into drinks. Under its own Amores brand, the firm distils its own mezcal using 100 percent organic agave. With more than 20 kinds of mezcal available, Manchin Shuten whips up not only good drinks, but also plenty of atmosphere as DJs spinning music from around the world are a weekend fixture.