27/08/2026
This summer we welcomed so many friends to CUE during
Together with Roku, the Official Gin Partner of 50 Best Bars, we hosted three days built around Japanese culture, seasonality and craftsmanship. CUE x Roku turned out to be a match made in heaven.
We follow the same principle of eating and living in harmony and we both live for the detail of our crafts.
Enjoy the re-cap of this beautiful collab - we certainly did.
SEASONALITY
Roku means “six” in Japanese, representing the six Japanese botanicals—Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea, Sansho
pepper, and Yuzu peel—each harvested at their peak to capture the essence of Japan’s four seasons.
This concept of Shun, harvesting ingredients at the peak time of year when they are at their freshest and best quality, is bottled into every drop of Roku Gin.
Monday set the tone for three days of Japanese craftsmanship, world-class bartending and unforgettable hospitality.
The day began with an intimate Tea & Meditation session with James Bowker, bringing guests together through mindfulness, Japanese tea culture and ritual. A calm and immersive start created a strong first connection with the brand.
The energy then shifted into the masterclass given by Gento Torigata’s from Waltz bar London. Here bartenders explored precision, technique and the art of Japanese bartending. The session created strong trade engagement and showcased the craftsmanship behind every serve.
In the afternoon, Keith Motsi and McHayla Killoran from Virtu Tokyo took over the bar, while guests enjoyed a curated dinner at CUE with cocktails paired to the menu. The combination of cocktails, cuisine and hospitality created a memorable consumer experience and brought the brand to life beyond the bar.
The night finished with Locale Firenze, as Alessandro Mengoni and Fabio Fanni brought high-energy service, cocktails and music to the venue. The atmosphere evolved from intimate and refined to vibrant and full of energy.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
At CUE, we live by the craft. Precision and detail makes the experience. We source our produce from small farms and use pre-industrial techniques like fermenting, pickling, smoking
