It¡¯s 8 p.m. on a Friday night, and Keith Motsi is working the room at Bar Virtu in the Otemachi branch of Tokyo¡¯s Four Seasons. Sporting his signature Campari-red jacket, the new head bartender stops by each table to flash a kilowatt smile and banter with guests.
¡°I only drink on days that end with ¡®y,¡¯¡± he quips, eliciting a roar of laughter from the customers. ¡°You see, I don¡¯t actually work here; it¡¯s just my hobby.¡±
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Britain, Motsi got his start working part-time at a bar in Yorkshire when he was a high school student. There, he fell in love with the bar¡¯s atmosphere of bonhomie and was drawn to the world of cocktails. Later, a visit to London and its flourishing bar scene showed him that he could spin his hobby into a sustainable occupation. After honing his skills in Leeds, he landed a job at London¡¯s swanky, members-only Soho House, where he mixed espresso martinis and Negronis for Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry, Jude Law and other celebrity clientele
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