Canes & Tales at Waldorf Astoria Osaka announces the first programme of guest shifts and seminars as part of The Essence Series.

Conceptualised by Hilton luxury brands as an annual occurrence, the event is designed to foster connection and creativity within the bar community in key cities across Asia-Pacific.

Over several days within the host city, members of the trade are invited to a series of immersive events featuring top talent from Hilton bars as well as the wider region. With masterclasses, panel discussions, cultural exchanges and guest shifts, these events aim to celebrate the spirit of a city through bar culture.

Found on the 28th floor of Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Canes & Tales is an intimate 47-seat bar tucked at the end of a dimly lit corridor, marked only by a symbolic gold ampersand on a dark green door. The space pays homage to Manhattan’s classic hideaway bars and reflects the Waldorf Astoria’s New York heritage.

Members of the trade community are invited to join for a multi-day program of seminars and guest shifts taking place at Canes & Tales in partnership with Perrier, with the schedule as follows:

Wednesday, 17 December

• 50 Best Bars Academy Chair Seminar, with insights from Nicholas Coldicott (Japan) & John Ng (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau)

• Guest shift featuring Ethan Lui (CMYK), John Ng (50 Best Academy Chair) and Alex Gilmour(Manhattan Singapore)

Thursday, 18 December

• 50 Best Bars Bartender Seminar, with insights from Rogerio Igarashi Vaz (Bar Trench) and Yasuhiro Kawakubo (Punch Room Tokyo)

• Guest shift featuring Rogerio Igarashi Vaz (Bar Trench) and Yasuhiro Kawakubo (Punch Room Tokyo), Song Terbsiri (The Loft Bangkok) and Vincent Han (Long Bar Shanghai)

In addition to the trade-focused guest shifts and masterclasses, participants will also be hosted for cultural experiences including incense-making, a knife workshop and Osaka bar tour.

With Canes & Tales at Waldorf Astoria Osaka as the first host, The Essence Series aims to curate annual events, with future editions in the works for other Hilton APAC Luxury Hotels.

“We’re excited to welcome the bar community from Asia-Pacific to discover a little taste of Osaka through our first events under The Essence Series,” says Dominic Dijkstra, Director of Mixology at Waldorf Astoria Osaka. “Long known as ‘the nation’s kitchen’ thanks to its rich food culture, Osaka is now making waves in the world of mixology and we want to help celebrate and elevate the city’s cocktail culture within the Asia-Pacific region, while also creating educational opportunities for our local community.”