Yesterday was close day for voting on the 2010 Australian Bar Awards. After whizzing through my votes, I made a quick visit to 4bars.com.au and was extremely pleased to see that Ueno Hidetsugu has been confirmed for Bar Show next month.
Some will know Ueno-san from the Magnificent Seven launch video or perhaps will have seen him hand carving ice into balls, or as he is now more famous for, diamonds.
He, along with an extremely small group of other Japanese masters have been responsible for launching a set of influences that is strong around the world of bar tending right now. Seamless mixing glasses, obscenely long bar spoons, hand carved ice, gold plated everything and perhaps best known, the mystical hard shake.
Having been to Tokyo and visited the standing bars, I have one overwhelming memory of hospitable perfection, a focus on detail, economy of movement and utterly focussed service. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say and what he might share.
Ueno-San will be presenting The Art of Japanese Bartending in the Mixology Theatre at 2:00pm – 2:40 pm on Wednesday 22 September (Day 2) of the Sydney BarShowexhibtion. Do not miss this amazing opportunity to get up close a personal with one of the world’s leading bartending personalities.
For further information and to purchase your 2 Day Seminar Pass visitwww.barshow.com.au
Everyday Drinking 
This is great news, well done to Spanton Worldwide Media for bringing Ueno-san to Australia!
When Ueno-san visited New Zealand in 2008 for the 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup, he held a room of 100 fairly-worse-for-wear bartenders mesmerised for an hour with his introduction to Japanese bartending. I think Ueno-san is probably the leading exponent of the ‘Japanese way’ right now.
He’s also a truly lovely man into the bargain, and impossibly humble too. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s talking at Bar Show at the same time as me, I’d urge everyone to get along to see Ueno-san! He shouldn’t be missed.
Japanese bartending legend Hidetsugu Ueno is confirmed for celebrity shift on Tuesday at Eau de Vie from 7:30pm! Watch his world famous ice carving skills”