During one of my recent visits to Japan, I had the opportunity to pass through Shizuoka, a medium-sized city about an hour outside of Tokyo. Unfamiliar with the region, I reached out to Takuo Ishida, owner of one of the premier bourbon bars in Japan, GEMOR, if he knew of any good places to drink bourbon in the area. His response was as immediate as it was succinct: “Bar JET”.

In 2014, I had the opportunity to sample a bottle of Willett Family Estate bourbon while visiting a close friend. On the back of the bottle a tiny sticker read "Mike's Whiskeyhandel". The whiskey was absolutely delicious, motivating me to find a bottle of my own. A little Googling led me to an online whiskey shop out of Munich, Germany that listed the bottle for sale.

An article in Cincinnati Refined titled “There's A Vintage Bourbon Library Hiding In A Strip Mall In Crescent Springs, Kentucky” was all I needed to read before planning a trip to Crescent Springs to visit the Cork N Bottle. Brad Bonds, through a partnership with the Cork N Bottle, runs their Antique Bourbon Program, where rare bottles of spirits are sold and tastings are held.

It's a drizzly overcast afternoon in Portland, Oregon, and I've just about finished digesting an excellent Middle Eastern-inspired brunch at Tusk. I'm about to drive north to hit Interurban, a bar in the Boise neighborhood northeast of downtown.

I'm about to step off the bullet train headed from Osaka to Tokyo during a short stopover in the town of Nagoya. From there, I'll catch a local train to the industrial port town of Toyohashi in search of GEMOR, a whiskey bar rumored to be near the train station. GEMOR is one of a handful of Japanese whiskey bars dealing exclusively in American bourbon.

I'm finishing up the last bits of a corn dog & fried egg combo at a hip bicycle shop-cum-breakfast joint called Early Birds Breakfast on the edge of Nagoya, Japan. I haven't seen another patron all morning, which seems unusual, but I certainly don't mind the quiet. My train arrived at Nagoya station this morning after leaving Tokyo at an early hour only possible due to my jet lag.

I've passed by Nopa in San Francisco's Alamo Square neighborhood many times, but never entered due to the crowds of people lining the entrance. Known for its wood-fired burgers and Mediterranean influenced cuisine, reservations at Nopa are essential when looking to get a private table. For those with a bit more flexibility, bar seating is also an option.