{"id":407253,"date":"2022-03-18T08:45:53","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T13:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=407253"},"modified":"2022-03-18T08:46:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T13:46:40","slug":"a-spirit-free-pioneer-an-interview-with-julia-momose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/a-spirit-free-pioneer-an-interview-with-julia-momose\/","title":{"rendered":"A Spirit-Free Pioneer: An Interview With Julia Momose"},"content":{"rendered":"

As this year’s Pineapple Hospitality Award<\/a> winner and the pioneer who made alcohol delivery possible for Chicago restaurants amidst the pandemic, Julia Momose is undoubtedly a heroine character according to many in Chicago’s restaurant industry. Meanwhile, veteran foodies know her as one of the top mixologists in Chicago, and the owner of the beloved Whiskey heaven \u2014 Bar Kumiko<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This time, the Urban Matter team had the honor to have Julia on an interview to talk about her unique background, experience, and passion for the food & beverage industry.<\/p>\n

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Image Credit: Sammy Faze Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q (Urban Matter): Tell us more about your background. Were you a Chicago local?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A (Julia Momose): <\/strong>I was actually born in Japan. I lived there until I was eighteen then moved to America. It was in New York first, then Baltimore, and now Chicago. So I’m more of a Chicago transplant \u2014 I moved here in 2013. So it has been a little while.<\/p>\n

Q: As we know, Asian and American drinking cultures are slightly different from each other. How does the Japanese drinking culture, from your perspective, differs from that in the U.S., and how has that affected your pursuit in mixology?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> When I was in Japan, I started working in the hospitality industry through high school. I was just mostly polishing glass and watching. My parents don’t drink at all so I wasn’t raised around [drinking] either. But, in Japan, [drinking] is very easy \u2014 the drinking culture is very soft and easy-going, in a sense where there isn’t a whole lot of intensive drinking. The bars are all separated out, so you’d go to a certain bar for a certain drinking experience. But in America it’s more… you go to a bar, and the bartender is expected to have everything. In Japan, there is an amazing non-alcoholic drinking culture as well that’s about getting together and less about the ABV of everything.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by k u m i k o \u30cf\u3099\u30fc\u7d44\u5b50 (@barkumiko)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n