Enjoy an aperitif with gelato and a coffee cocktail!
The honeymoon between coffee and ice cream is accelerating. Of course, there have been ice cream shops where you can also drink coffee, but most of them were just a side dish.
However, in recent years, there has been an increase in stores where both coffee shops are the main focus, including homemade ice cream shops run by coffee shops.
Among them, TIGRATO in Yotsuya is pursuing both items from a bartender's perspective. It is a gelateria and bar that is open from the daytime and was opened by its owner, Yusuke Takamiya, with the aim of "expanding the opportunities for bartenders to thrive."
As Takamiya visited farms and other places, he began to want to convey the passion of the producers as much as possible.
"The ideal taste and texture is one that makes you feel like you're eating the ingredients themselves. Gelato is made by assembling liquids and putting them in a machine to make them solid, which feels similar to making a cocktail," says Takamiya.
The strength of this shop is that you can enjoy gelato with a clear aftertaste, created with the precise work of a bartender, along with high-quality drip coffee and coffee cocktails.
For the coffee gin and tonic, use a dark Brazilian roast. 
The gelato made from the rare Amazonian cacao is surprisingly mellow.
The owner, Takamiya-san, has a strong desire to "establish aperitivo (the Italian custom of enjoying a drink before dinner) in Japan." Enjoy gelato, coffee, and even alcoholic beverages from the afternoon onward, with 15 varieties of homemade gelato made with ingredients that resonate with the maker's philosophy, such as buckwheat from Hadano, Kanagawa, and rare Peruvian Amazonian cacao. The main sugar used is sugar beet, with three other sweeteners, including starch syrup, used.
The coffee is made with beans from Nagoya's renowned Bontain Coffee, brewed using an immersion dripper that ensures consistent flavor. The cocktails are a given, but the bartender's curiosity and skill ensure that both the gelato and coffee are exquisitely crafted. Enjoying them with a cocktail in the afternoon makes for the ultimate aperitif experience.
