Kuroki Koji is the manager at the Japanese whiskey bar Ichikura in the Hujialou area. Wang Jing / China Daily

Many people are not even aware that Japan produces whiskey, let alone that it has a customized bar culture built around it.

"Japan has been producing its own whiskey since the 1920s, but it was not until 20 to 30 years ago that whiskey bars in Japan started becoming popular," Japanese whiskey bar Ichikura's manager, Kuroki Koji, said. "Now they're everywhere."

This includes Beijing, where Ichikura and its sister bar, Er, have been in business since 2003, offering Beijingers a mind-boggling selection of whiskeys served Japanese-style.

Ichukura has 87 varieties of Scotch single malt whisky, 24 types of Kentucky bourbon, two types of Tennessee whiskey, six types of Canadian whiskey, four types of Irish whiskey, 19 types of Japanese whiskey and 33 types of Scotch blended whisky.

The price of a dram (a measure of whisky that is a bit more than a shot) ranges from 70 yuan to 150 yuan.

When asked what distinguishes a Japanese whiskey bar from other bars, the shy and courteous 31-year old Koji made a trip to the kitchen and presented a smooth, billiard ball-sized sphere of ice. He dropped it into a glass - a perfect fit.

The ice ball, shaped by hand, is called marukouri in Japanese, meaning simply, "round ice." Resembling a magic crystal ball, it is an enchanting - and practical - touch.

"It's a matter of physics," Koji said handling the ball like a fortune-teller. "Its size and smaller surface area allow it to melt much slower than ice cubes, so you can enjoy the whiskey and not have to worry about the water. This takes a whole hour to melt."

Another component to Japanese whiskey bars, immediately evident upon entering Ichikura, is their small and intimate size, which gives them a distinct vibe.

"Most of the bars are small. At one bar there's maybe one or two bartenders only," he said. "Here we only have 12 seats and I don't want more. I like to be able to serve everyone well. Most Japanese whiskey bars are like this."

Ichikura has a dark, seductively decorated interior and yet it lacks pretension. In addition to the bar, there are two private rooms with old, brown leather sofas, black glass chandeliers and soft lighting. The music is mellow, too. Instrumental jazz emanates from the speakers to complete the mood.

"I've been to Houhai and I think the bars there are noisy, too many people," Koji told METRO with disappointment. "The big difference is the music's too loud. The music in Japanese bars is peaceful. You don't want to have to yell at your friends," he added. "People at my bar can talk and drink."

Koji, who came to Beijing to study Chinese language and literature in 1997, wanted to open a bar here, but instead returned to Japan and worked as a bartender for three years to gain experience. When Ichikura's owner, Hattori Takayuki, posted an advertisement online for a bartender, Koji jumped at the chance.

Commercial whiskey production in Japan began in 1923 when the country's first distillery, Yamazaki, opened with the help of Masataka Taketsuru, who studied distillation in Scotland. In 1934, Taketsuru left to form another company, which would later become Nikka Whiskey Co.

Yamazaki - now owned by the Japanese company Suntory Holdings Ltd - and Nikka own half of Japan's ten whiskey distilleries. The Scottish method of distillation Taketsuru appropriated places Japanese whiskey in the same family as Scottish whisky, although Japanese whiskey (like all whiskey distilled outside Scotland) is spelled with an 'e'.

"The processing is almost the same as in Scotland, but the water and air are not the same," Koji said. "Japanese whiskey is more sweet and more smooth."

A single malt Yamazaki aged 12 years (70 yuan) was full-bodied and slightly sweet. Perhaps most surprising for those accustomed to North American, Irish and Scottish varieties are the strong scents of cherry and vanilla. In Nikka Whiskey Single Malt "Yoichi" (70 yuan), peat moss is burned and used to dry the wheat, which adds a peculiar, briny flavor to the whiskey, Koji said. Overall, Japanese whiskeys are sweeter and fruitier, and lack the fullness and the smokiness of their Western counterparts.

Ichikura offers cocktails for those not accustomed to Japanese whiskey.