You Can Drink Lettuce at Tokyo’s New All-You-Can-Drink Shochu Bar

Brace yourself for Havespi, a new all-you-can-drink bar in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district that’s offering a massive menu of shochus—the super-popular Japanese spirit.

Though shochu is most commonly distilled from rice or sweet potatoes, Havespi’s 100-bottle deep selection showcases some intriguing outliers distilled from things like lettuce, chestnuts, mushrooms and more. For a mere 3,240 yen (about $32), you can sip as many and as much of the bar’s shochus as you want. All you have to do is pre-pay, grab a glass and get started. You can drink your shochu straight or with a little water, as is common in Japan, but Havespi also offers a hands-on mixers and garnish bar so guests can fix their drinks however they so please.

Typically coming in between 30 and 35% ABV, this “all-you-can-drink” offer is only slightly less intimidating than an all-you-can-drink whiskey bar—especially considering Havespi doesn’t offer food. It does, however, offer plates and utensils so you can grab some take-out on the way over.

The intrepid reporters over at Rocket News 24 recently previewed the bar and got a taste of the lettuce shochu. The verdict? “Surprisingly smooth...refreshing and somehow cooling.” Sounds like a great side salad alternative to us.

Havespi plans to open July 8 for service, so if you happen to be in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, stop by to get good and shochu-ed up, then report back to us. We’d really like to know what mushroom booze tastes like.