There's nothing more timeless than fairy tales passed down from generation to generation, but as people get older, many forget the initial feeling of enchantment that made them fall in love with their favorite childhood stories in the first place. Hoping to bring that magical spark back are Japanese Fairy Tale Cocktails, a year-long running series of mesmerizing cocktails inspired by perennial Japanese folk tales.

These drinks will take booze-loving adults back to memory lane, while also giving them a chance to relive familiar fairy tales in a completely different way. Offered at the MIXX Bar & Lounge on the 36th floor of the ANA InterContinental Tokyo Hotel, guests will be able to try one of 6 original cocktails depending on the month of their visit.

The featured drink of the month changes every 2 months, and cocktails have been on rotation since the beginning of this year. So far, MIXX has served stunning drinks inspired by Urashima Taro and Hanasaka Ojisan, with 4 more boozy Japanese folk tale beverages to come. Each are served with a menu booklet containing the synopsis of the fairy tales in both English and Japanese, allowing customers to refresh their memories and perhaps discover something new about their favorite fables.

Jan/Feb: Urashima Tarō

Cocktail: Awamori, green tea liqueur, matcha, brown sugar, gold leaf

Story: A fisherman rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the undersea palace Ryūgū-jō. He decides to return to his village 3 days later, and is given a secret box he is told not to open. Upon his arrival back home, he discovers that 300 years have passed since he left for the castle. Devastated, he opens the forbidden box, only to be hit with old age.

Mar/Apr: Hanasaka Jiisan

Cocktail: Sake, syrup, yuzu peel

Story: The beloved dog of an honest, elderly couple digs up gold from their garden. A greedy neighbor sees this and demands the dog dig in his garden too, but only bones are found on his property. Angry, the neighbor kills the dog. But even after its death, the dog continues to shower the old couple with treasures, while making sure the evil neighbor gets what he deserves for his selfishness.

May/Jun: Issun-bōshi

Cocktail: Sake, syrup, lemon juice, lemon peel, mint leaves, matcha ice cream

Story: Though born only around 3 centimeters tall, Issun-bōshi sets out to the capital to become a warrior. One day, a girl is kidnapped by an oni (demon). Issun-bōshi manages to save her, and uses a magic mallet to become bigger and live happily ever after with the girl.

Jul/Aug: Momotarō

Cocktail: Żubrówka, sakura liqueur, peach liqueur, peach nectar, lime juice

Story: Momotarō floats down a river inside a giant clam peach into the lives of a childless woman and her husband. The boy is raised by the couple, and years later heads out to Onigashima to fight oni with the help of a dog, monkey, and pheasant. They successfully defeat the demons, returning home with treasures.

Sep/Oct: The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Cocktail: Plum wine, sake, line juice, grenadine syrup, egg whites

Story: A bamboo cutter cuts open a glowing bamboo stalk to find a beautiful girl the size of his thumb. Naming her Kaguya-hime (Princess Kaguya), they raise her into a woman of extraordinary beauty. Five princes come to ask for her hand in marriage, but she gives them impossible tasks they must complete if they want to marry her. Eventually, she returns home to "the Capital of the Moon," where she was originally sent to Earth from.

Nov/Dec: Kasa Jizo

Cocktail: Shōchū, Cointreau, lime juice, yuzu peel

Story: One snowy day, an old man selling bags and sandals at the village walks past five Jizo statues. Feeling sorry, he uses the money he makes (which was meant to be used to buy rice for him and his wife) to buy five straw hats for them. When he returns, he sees not five Jizo statues but six, and places a cloth he wore on his head on the sixth. Later that night, the Jizos come to life to visit the man, placing a lifetime's worth of rice on his front step as a token of gratitude.

The cost of one cocktail is 2,300 yen (US$20.50). It would be considered expensive for an ordinary drink, but considering these will take drinkers back to their innocent childhood days, some might regard it as a small price to pay. Visit the ANA InterContinental Tokyo website for more details.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.