Dewar’s Highball Crossing Festival: A Musical Event Offering Patrons the Chance to Savor the Taste of Dewar’s Scotch

Staged in a chilled-out space created in the “common ginza” hall on the 3rd floor of GINZA PLACE in the center of the Ginza area of Tokyo, Dewar’s Highball Crossing Festival was a weeklong musical event in which a wide array of different artists, ranging from beloved veterans to avant-garde newcomers, played live acoustic sets, while the audience enjoyed Dewar’s highballs.

The theme of the event was “origins,” and was designed as an opportunity for participants to cast their minds back to their own ancestors and consider their own origins during the Obon season, all the while savoring Dewar’s highballs, the original Scotch and soda highball. Modeled on the original Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, which entered operation in 1898, the venue had a resort-like atmosphere, even allowing patrons to relax on the grass while they listened to acoustic performances from varied artists and enjoyed premium highballs made with Dewar’s 12. Scotch eggs were also offered as accompaniment to the drinks, created by renowned chef Kan Morieda.

A total of 13 different artists appeared over the course of the event, including Keiichi Sokabe, bird, Michael Kaneko, Mizuki Ohira, Shingo Sekiguchi, Kei Owada, the Erika Nishi Acoustic Duo, Ryohei Kubota and Kris Roche, performing acoustic set lists based on the theme of “musical origins,” including their debut tracks or songs from artists who strongly influenced them. The opening party, held the night before the festival’s launch, featured an exclusive live performance from Wyolica, reuniting in celebration of the band’s 20th anniversary.