This Japanese Bar Creates Cocktails Based on Your Choice of Flavour
From the outside, standing in a quiet alley near Zhongxiao Dunhua station, WA-SHU looks like any other Japanese bar. But this one-of-a-kind Taipei establishment experiments in cocktail creation with daring ambition. It specializes in “one flavour” cocktails that focus on a base ingredient in its purest form. You choose the flavour from an extensive list and then taste the magic!
The small interior is dimly lit and the atmosphere is relaxed. This is a place to unwind in an intimate setting, with friends or a date.
As explained in the menu, WA-SHU insists on using only Japanese alcohols in its drinks, with the aim of promoting Japanese drinking culture. There’s a minimum spend of NT$350 per person, which is about the cost of one drink.
WA-SHU specializes in “one-flavour” cocktails. You choose the base ingredient from an extensive list in the menu, and the skilled bartenders create a cocktail using homemade infusions and distillations to focus on that single flavour in its purest, cleanest, and most natural form.
Flavours range from fruits to herbs to beans to chocolate. You name it, and they can probably accommodate it. It wasn’t easy for us to choose from dozens of different base ingredients, but we just went with our guts. Here’s what we came up with:
Banana: this whiskey infused with Taiwanese banana was an absolute treat. If you’re new to WA-SHU and stuck on what to order, we highly recommend going with this!
Bacon: in a bold move, we chose bacon as a base flavour. The resulting whiskey cocktail was heavy on tomato juice. It wasn’t our favourite, but you might like it!
Yuzu & Taiwan Basil: this was our favourite round of drinks. They were sweet and nicely balanced. The yuzu in particular was delicious and unique!
Shiso & Jasmine Tea: these cocktails were both STRONG. The proof must have been off the charts, because they were hard to swallow—especially considering it was our 3rd round. The shiso flavour was powerful, while the jasmine tea was more subtle. It was probably for this reason that the bar staff strongly recommended that we waited until the end to try these drinks; advice we were glad we followed.
We found the drinks to be hit and miss, but that’s part of the experience. We felt emboldened to try interesting and obscure flavours, which comes with a risk—if you don’t love the base ingredient, you might end up with a $350 cocktail that isn’t your style. It’s a bit like trying Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans from Harry Potter—you never know what you’re going to get!
On the other hand, if you really like the flavour, you’ll end up with a great cocktail that’s perfectly suited to your tastes. Our advice is to experiment a bit, but also stick to flavours you know you love.
What’s the vibe?
Dimly lit, sophisticated bar with a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. It’s perfect for unwinding with friends or taking a date. Just be warned that seating is limited.
Worth it?
Yes.
The drinks are high quality, and they’re reasonably priced at around NT$350 compared to other cocktail bars in the city. WA-SHU’s concept is unique, the vibe is cool, and the service is professional. If you’re into the idea of minimalist Japanese drinks, this is the bar for you. Cocktails might be hit and miss since you’re only choosing a base ingredient, but that’s part of the experience!
Would you go back?
Yes.
We’ll consider WA-SHU for special occasions.
Visited: January 2018
| WA-SHU |
| Chinese Name: 和酒 |
| Hours: Sun - Thurs: 8pm – 2am Fri & Sat: 8pm - 3am |
| Phone: 02 2771 4240 |
| English Address: No. 39, Lane 101, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106 |
| Chinese Address: 台北市大安區忠孝東路4段101巷39號 |
