Signature Cocktails and More at Long Bar

Named partly after a famous bar in Singapore and partly for its distinct wall-to-wall counter, Long Bar, near Awa-Tomida Station, owned by Hiroyuki Matsuura, is fit for both big groups and more intimate arrangements. Smaller groups are recommended to sit at the namesake counter. As with most classic lounges, the barman is always amiable. There is also a huge selection of drinks, making this a great spot for first-time visitors. You can select from a cadre of traditional cocktails – we recommend the frozen Long Island iced tea for a muggy summer night – as well as some truly unique seasonal and regional drinks. The Tokushima specialties range from a Naruto kintoki cocktail, made from a particularly sweet kind of sweet potato, to a mitsumata-infused drink (mitsumata is an important raw material used in washi paper and, famously, the ¥10,000 bill). Using mitsumata ash for color and wasanbon sugar, it is refreshing and moderately sweet.

Sample the Local Spirits at Bar Kohno

This massive, decades-old bar (with an equally grand, mountain-shaped display of bottles) owned by Kohno Yoshikazu is tucked in the third floor of a building on Tokushima's main shopping street. In addition to its classic drinks, Kohno is famous for using freshly squeezed Tokushima fruits and local liquor in its cocktails. Take the sudachi highball: Sudachi is a kind of citrus fruit native to the area, and with its slightly sharp taste it can be difficult to work with. But subdued with wasanbon sugar and Kohno's original whiskey, it's smooth and refreshing, perfect for any season. In their original take on gin and tonic, yuzu peel is soaked in the gin, and fresh yuzu is added to the mixture. If you like mojitos, a must-try is the shiso mojito. Shiso is an herb with a flavor in the realm of mint, basil and cinnamon, giving this cocktail a wonderfully herbal kick. You can also order Awa gin, from a brewery right in Tokushima. The base of the gin is brewed using locally-cultivated rice, carefully distilled, then enhanced with four flavors: yuzu, sansho pepper, sudachi and the sweet-and-sour Awa bancha tea.

Treat All Five Senses at Bar Arche

Situated on a street with many similar small spots, Bar Arche is a great place to start sampling different drinks. And with classical music playing, always, it's quite the sensory experience. The name, French for “bridge,” is meant to honor the bar's role of leading customers from their stressful jobs to an area of relaxation. Unsurprisingly, ARCHE has its own mixtures featuring Tokushima fruits. The sudachi highball, similar to kohno's (where award-winning owner Tomomi Murakami received her training), tastes strongly of the regional citrus. The sharp edge leads to a smooth finish. The Arche Cocktail is great for sweets lovers but perfectly smooth, with an apple brandy based and a medley of fruits to boot. The umeshu cocktail has a bourbon base and uses in-house umeshu. It strikes a nice balance between the bourbon, which creates a smooth finish, and the Japanese plum, which adds acidity. Other flavors you will find on the menu include yuzu and mikan.

Bar HADA

Located on a side street off Akitamachi's main street, Bar HADA's distinctive brick walls and green door characterize its facade.
Both the name and interior design were inherited from the previous owner, and the bar's interior has the same relaxed atmosphere as it has had for the past 40 years.
The bartender has been running this bar for 18 years after training in another popular bar in Tokushima.

Inside there is one table and one counter.
You can easily get along with others sitting nearby because of Bar HADA’s cozy and home-like atmosphere.
Carefully prepared drinks and pleasant conversation will make you forget the passing of time.

BAR TOYOKAWA

The father, Toshio, is a veteran in this field with over 50 years of experience.
Toshio’s son, Shinji, specializes in cocktails made with seasonal fruits.
With these two different types of bartenders, even though they are father and son, this is a rare bar where you can enjoy different tastes in one place.

This bar used to have one of the best bourbon collections in Japan.
Even today, the back bar is lined with rare whiskeys that are hard to find elsewhere.
The simple layout with a single row of counters is ideal for a leisurely drink alone.
Enjoy the bliss of sipping rare whiskeys while chatting with either of the bartenders.

GLEN K

GLEN K is a bar with an impressive staircase that greets you as soon as you open the door.
It is located where one of Tokushima's pioneering authentic bars, Thirteen Mall, used to be.
Although the name has changed several times since then, the interior has remained the same, and the history of the bar has been carefully passed down through the generations.
The entire bar is surrounded by wood—just like the inside of a well-aged whiskey barrel with a fine aroma.

Despite its long history, the bar is always filled with pleasant conversation and laughter, just like the conversational character of the owner.

This is a rare bar in Tokushima where you can drink Guinness on tap.
Light meals prepared by the master, who loves to cook, are another treat at GLEN K. The food menu is fulfilling on every visit, from spiced curry and omelet rice to fried rice and ochazuke (rice with green tea).

This is an authentic bar that has carefully preserved the interior and atmosphere inherited from the previous owners.
The bar, built with the luxurious use of wood, which is rarely seen in new ones, is something that still exists in Tokushima.