I fell into the world of cyberpunk games

The bartender started brewing by pouring ice into the mixing glass.

Stir the ice a few times with a bar spoon, then sprinkle a drop of a dark red or orangeish chemical over it.

Probably bitters, a concentrated liqueur that is also used medicinally. For adding flavor to cocktails.

I could tell just by looking at the way he dropped the bottle indifferently and removed the bottle again.

At least it’s a basic bartender.

But in the end, what matters is the next step.

Kiju (基酒), an alcoholic beverage that serves as a base for cocktails.

In the case of classic cocktails, the quality of the host was particularly important.

In Manhattan, it was whiskey.

The rule of thumb is to make a glass of fine bourbon or rye whiskey.

Depending on the quality of this whiskey, even in the same Manhattan category, it results in completely different cocktails with completely different tastes and aromas.

However, no matter how ‘Red Dragon’ runs a shop, no matter how talented and secretive bartenders there are, Dragon’s Rare is, after all, a franchise tavern.

There is bound to be a limit to the materials handled.

You can’t use a brand-name whiskey with the same quality as the classic bar upstairs in a hotel.

The store itself cannot afford such a product, and the customer base cannot pay the appropriate price.

Occasionally, special customers who belong to the exception also visit, but… In general, it was.

It is also the reason why classic cocktails are gradually dying out in ordinary bars, and only cutting-edge cocktails of the kind that are flashy to the eye and striking the tongue are plentiful.

In fact, Dragon’s Rare is almost the only store that maintains the classic brewing method in the entire large block of neighboring East Monica and Sproulfield.

This was the reason why some other customers continued to visit this place despite the strict regulations and hefty prices.

How will the bartender in front try to break through? I looked at him with a strangely pounding heart.

Crackle-

First, as a base, we pour golden factory grain whiskey with a plausible color.

Really basic aroma and taste, and alcohol as the basis. If you look at the picture, it was like peeling a drawing paper with a white background.

Now it’s time to paint over it.

The essential elements that should not be omitted are contained in powder, capsule, and syrup. The aromas of rye and malt, the woods of charred oak barrels, and the sweet air.

The last liquid I added had a spicy, dry scent.

It was a chemical combination of classic whiskey. A recipe that elevates the taste of cheap whiskey to the best of scientific use.

The problem is that the quantity is not clearly defined, so the balance of taste and aroma can be established or completely broken with subtle control.

Perhaps knowing that fact, the hand of the bartender who was holding the jig again was trembling a little.

What would the combination look like in front of you? Will it be balanced, or will it be horribly broken?

You had to drink it, but it was a matter of knowing.

Then it was the turn of sweet vermouth. Not a great combination, just a glass of synthetic red wine, powdered flavoring, and a little extra cherry syrup.

It was almost like it was finished. Now all that remains is to use the technique.

The brewing technique used to create Manhattan is Stir. Stirring the drink using a bar spoon.

And, coincidentally, there was a bartender nicknamed ‘The Perfectster’ sitting right next to him.

Although he benefited from the prosthetic arm, if he had been able to do all that much just because he had a mechanical arm, the profession of bartender would have lost its value right away.

It would have been immediately replaced by a robot that performed only a set process.

The magician’s stun skills were real.

He knew for sure how much and how to mix drinks to create the perfect stir cocktail.

If I had learned even half of that, the result would not be as bad as it was.

The bartender grabbed the curly bar spoon and put it in the glass. Stir the mixing glass back and forth with the back of the spoon.

At first, it creaked a few times and didn’t seem to work properly, but gradually it started to gain inertia and the liquid and spoon swirled together.

Just the right speed, not too fast, not too slow. The optimal direction for the bartender to control himself.

It gradually slowed down, then turned a few more turns and pulled out the spoon.

It did touch the ice a few times, but that was okay.

Stu was faithful to his original role. Thanks to this, the ice melted moderately and the ingredients mixed together.

Now that the cocktail has cooled and softened enough, the role of ice is over. when you need to pick it up.

Put a strainer and a stainless steel plate that filters ice on the mixing glass and pour it into a transparent martini glass in the shape of an inverted triangle that was taken out beforehand.

A sweet yellowish-brown liquid dripped down in a single streak.

Place a pin with a black cherry flavoring compound on top of the cocktail filled just enough to fill the glass just enough for the dark color to stand out.

In this way, a total of three cups were made. Manhattans differ in quantity, formulation, and nuances of sterling.

Finally handed out the finished cocktails, the bartender took a deep breath and said:

“Three glasses of the queen of cocktails, here it is.”

The artificial cherries erected at an angle on the surface reflected in reddish-brown under the light of the bar shimmer.

The saying that it is like watching the red sunset and sunset of Manhattan was not coined for nothing.

From the outside, it looks like a plausible Manhattan.

The problem is that most cocktails are only plausible on the surface.

The detective tried not to expect too much, and with his thick fingers he raised the glass as gracefully as possible.

Then, tilt the glass to your mouth.

She swallowed the seductive queen’s liquid into her mouth.

There were words that came out as soon as I took a sip and enjoyed it and swallowed it.

“… It’s been five days since I started learning.”

Five days, five days.

five times a day.

The amount of time that seems like an additional 20 minutes after the Earth has rotated five times.

under.

When I turned around with a grin, Antonio was shrugging his shoulders. That smirk is unusually mean today.

The detective shook his head nervously.

Somehow, I felt like I was being deceived.

I deliberately chose a difficult spell to give a little kick and give feedback.

this is won

Is this the skill of someone who only learned it in 5 days?

The laughter came out again, and I had to raise the glass to my lips again to cover it up.

Have you ever seen such an absurd case?

* * *

… Why do you keep shaking your head?

It seems like he’s trying to laugh at the constant licking of the corners of his mouth.

Her lips were dry at the strangely distorted expression of the truth detective.

While holding the cocktail in his mouth, he frowned and grimaced, amplifying the ominousness.

When it comes to cocktails, what kind of evaluation is that cold-hearted detective going to give?

If there is poisonous language, you may be hurt a little.

Honestly, I did my best.

Under the circumstances, it was the best Manhattan I could show with my skills.

Of course, it would be a lie to say that there were no mistakes.

A little creaking at the beginning of the stirrer, or thinking too long about the whiskey combination.

They were all regrettable mistakes.

If I do it again next time, it will be better than now.

Knowing that drinking alcohol didn’t do much to quench my thirst, I was thirsty and swallowed the contents of the Manhattan glass in front of me.

The first taste is tea. And it was sad again.

It’s on the sweet side of a classic cocktail, but this is it.

A liquid that goes down to the throat with a soft yet stinging texture and a feeling that the bitterness is covered by other strange flavors and scents.

With just the first sip, something was strange.

Due to the high alcohol content, the amount was not too long. The cocktail, which seemed to disappear after a few more sips, was handed over to his lips again.

The second time, I started to feel the sweetness little by little. The taste of rye and cherry, the spice that pierces the tongue – the smell and umami of cinnamon and citrus.

And the subtly spicy reverberation that lingers behind.

Is this the taste of Manhattan, a cocktail called the Queen? I feel like I know something, but I still don’t know.

It may or may not taste and smell as intended in the recipe.

I don’t know how to drink as well as how to make it, so unlike cooking, I still don’t know if it’s made properly even if I try it myself.

After taking a few more sips, the truth detective opened his mouth only when my glass ran out.

evaluation begins.

“Honestly, the whiskey I feel is not very well balanced.”

gulp.

dry saliva passed. Sweat is dripping on your hands.

“The taste of wood was too strong and too much sweetness was added. The body and the finish are disappointing.

The scent is on the better side, but it’s still the same. The host was not in harmony.”

Every word is a village murder.

The explanation was long, but in the end, it was said that the combination of the base whiskey was erratic and the taste was dead.

What I feared happened. I thought I was anxious while making it, but I didn’t know it would go this far.

Well, for my taste, I don’t think it was that bad. The problem is pretty big.

Towards me, who was trying to manage my facial expressions, the truth detective continued.

“And there is nothing wrong with that.”

“… Yes, it is.”

Other than that, there were no problems, which didn’t sound very pleasant at a time when serious flaws already existed.

Somehow, the aftertaste of alcohol seems to be more bitter.

The taste buds turned to me again, and the truth detective coughed and said again.

“Hey, all in all, it was a decent Manhattan glass of cheap whiskey. drank well It’s kind of worth it.”

It’s okay, it’s not okay

I wondered what it was like to say that he drank well at the end after criticizing him for being erratic, out of harmony, or cheap.

Did you intentionally add a few clumsy compliments at the end because you thought you were too sweet?

Rather, it is more shameful and unpleasant.

Perhaps it was because the displeasure was clearly revealed on his face, the real detective said, ‘It’s not like this.’ He looked embarrassed, and Tony sat next to him, holding back his laughter.

He looks like he’s giggling and laughing, but then he gets serious and says:

“Nakamura, you look like you’re misunderstanding. Now you were thinking that you didn’t make the cocktail right?”

“Yes… What.”

When a customer evaluates me so coldly, in front of them, I say, ‘Isn’t it? are you wrong? Did I make it well?’ Wouldn’t that just be a denial of reality?

You have to admit that you have to admit.

I got quite a lot of compliments after making the Americano last time, but it seemed like a really good classic cocktail was too much for me.

As his lips puckered like that, Tony shook his head.

“No, it was well made. That’s a great Manhattan. Especially considering that I don’t have much experience.

It’s the first time since the last time I explained whiskey and practiced it, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Compared to back then, it was absurd. The synthetic liquor mix I made back then was a complete mess.”

I’m not sure if this is a compliment or not.

When I looked at him with a frown on his face, Tony leaned forward and said.

“Think about it. That person spares no praise for classical music, but if it were me, it was nothing less than praise.”

“Is that?”

“It’s cheap, it’s out of harmony… Not bad to hear But keep in mind that, despite all these harsh reviews, you only acknowledged that the synthetic liquor you created was giving off the flavor and aroma of whiskey.”

“… !”

I heard it and it was Unbalanced whiskey, cheap whiskey… But never once, ‘It’s not whiskey here.’ didn’t say

Just trying to mix the Fallen Angel by splitting it in two was like, ‘That’s not a Fallen Angel, so I won’t drink it.’ A detective who is stubborn enough to say,

“It means that your whiskey combination has achieved the minimum requirement to be recognized as whiskey even in the strictest eyes.

Look, you’re still drinking well after being so bitter. In the end, you like it.”

When I said that, I looked at the truth detective and looked at me with the glass on my lips.

A solemn expression as if he had never praised him, but his eyes were rolling away and avoiding his gaze.

After continuous sipping, the detective’s cocktail was showing its bottom.

And the cup doesn’t lie.

“And given that over 90 percent of the whiskey synthetics on the market for that human taste would be nothing more than ‘fake whiskey’, the assessment you just heard is certainly not a criticism… .”

Tony ended the conversation with a smirk.

“Rather, it’s a kind of certification mark that proves that your brewing ability is on a higher level than the seemingly noisy bartenders, saying that the alcohol you mix is worthy of sale.”