The Suntory Cocktail Award competition is underway! BARTENDER Glass of God episode 8 follows our other main bartenders, Ginjo Yuri, Kawakami Kyoto and Kelvin Chen, as they approach different creative processes when it comes to creating their unique concoction for the cocktail awards. The bartenders take inspiration from their emotions and homelands to create and name a one-of-a-kind drink, and present their creations to a panel of judges.
BARTENDER Glass of God Episode 8 Review
In BARTENDER Glass of God episode 8, the characters go through their own difficulties with creating these drinks. Yuri struggled with her drink concept in the beginning, trying to take inspiration from past winners, Kyoko lacked confidence in her drink-making ability and was afraid to tarnish Bar Minami’s name, and Chen struggled to gain his dad’s acceptance of becoming a bartender.
While the bartenders ultimately performed well, it was clear to me that Yuri would win the competition based on how the other bartenders were all in their heads. Kyoto froze during her turn, and Chen not only knocked over one of his glasses, but only presented one drink that was different from the drink he submitted on paper prior to his performance. Yuri’s skills are evident in previous episodes; she created her specialty drink with confidence and ease, and her backstory and tribute to her mentor really shined through.
Though Yuri is the competition winner, everyone won in some way. Kyoko accepted a job working at Hotel Cardinal as the lounge bartender based on Ryu Sasakura’s recommendation. Chen will continue to train and work as a bartender at his father’s hotel in Singapore.
While Chen gets to continue as a bartender, I am displeased with this result based on the previous episode. Chen was resistant to return to Singapore and wanted to win his dad over with his bartending skills, yet his dad got what he wanted: Chen to come back to Singapore and work for the hotel. Though he is a bartender instead of running the hotel, I feel unsatisfied knowing that the weakest bartender of the group has the opportunity to work at a high-end hotel bar.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed getting to see more about the other bartenders’ backstories and how they translated their feelings into a drink. Now, it makes me even more curious about our main bartender Sasakura, especially with the post credits scene of him standing in front of an empty space with a fence. Is this area where he grew up? What is his real backstory like, and if/when he delivers the Glass of God, will we learn more about him in the process? I’m curious to know what “Sasakura’s drink” is, and if he will eventually join the Hotel Cardinal.
BARTENDER Glass of God premieres every Wednesday on Crunchyroll.
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