On Halloween night, DRIFTWOOD, the 43rd-floor bar at Fairmont Tokyo, turns into a one-night celebration inspired by Mexico’s Day of the Dead. For the eighth edition of its Cocktail Sessions series, the bar hosts two guest bartenders who will serve exclusive tequila and mezcal cocktails created for the occasion.
Satoshi Sugiura of El Lequio in Naha, which was ranked No. 80 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ extended 51–100 list in 2023, spent nearly a decade bartending in Tokyo and later managed The Odd Couple in Shanghai. He now develops cocktails with Okinawan brown sugar and awamori as brand ambassador for the LEQUIO SERIES. He’s joined by Pae Ketumarn of Funky Town in Bangkok, group beverage manager at Sarnies Group, whose résumé includes W Bangkok, Morimoto Bangkok and The SG Club in Tokyo.
Event-only Mexican dishes, Latin beats from the resident DJ and face painting round out the night. Guests in the bar area can stand and mingle with the bartenders and DJ, and the lounge offers table seating for a more relaxed evening. Plans range from three cocktails to a four- or five-course dinner, as well as a bottle package of Código 1530 Reposado tequila with four cocktails and bar bites.
