Southside Sips: Hokkaido Pony

One Trick Pony’s bar maven Mike Fehn is all about nuance. Where less skilled and less intuitive mixers and shakers would go for the easy, well-trodden drink schematic, he’s an explorer of flavor, a seeker of balance.

“My inspiration depends on the time of year, the vibe of my clients. I like to keep it creative and fresh,” says the Bellport native, who’s happily settled into life in Westhampton Beach. Fehn grew up in a family where cooking was a big deal, and that experience has deeply informed the way he considers ingredients for his drinks. 

Fehn adds just a dusting of matcha powder to the Hokkaido Pony, creating a flavorful push and pull to the cocktail’s overall intriguing balance. (Photos by Doug Young)

Like this, the Hokkaido Pony. Its parts hum together like a pitch-perfect song performed a cappella. Fehn named it for the prefecture in Japan where the Nikka Coffey Pot Grain Whisky he uses comes from. “It’s kind of the wild west of Japan,” he says. “Think lots of farmland, Japanese cowboys and skiing in the winter.” 

It’s a soft-style whisky (even the whisky-averse will dig it) that he combines with yuzu, the Japanese citrus fruit; blanc vermouth, which is a little sweeter and softer than your typical dry vermouth; honey syrup and, for the kicker, matcha powder dusted on top. The latter serves to slowly alter the color of the drink over time, from chartreuse-like to a deeper soft forest moss. 

The sweeter, softer ingredient components with the bright citrus and gently bitter, herbaceous matcha combine to make a drink that’s gorgeously harmonious yet has layers of flavor that reveal themselves as you sip — a pony that takes you on the most interesting flavor ride. Giddyap!