Nashi Sour
Image Description: A Nashi Sour cocktail presented in a tall glass with a frothy top, garnished with a small yellow edible flower. The background shows traditional Japanese dolls and a dark container with dried poppy pods, suggesting an artistic and cultural context.
The Nashi Sour is a crisp and juicy Japanese pear-inspired cocktail, offering a refreshing sweetness and creamy texture. This variation incorporates Nashi Pear liqueur to enhance the drink's crispness, topped with soda for effervescence.
Ingredients:
- 40 ml/1½ fl oz. Chivas Regal Mizunara Whisky
- 10 ml/2 teaspoons Nashi Gold Liqueur, Bien Nashi Pear Liqueur, or similar
- 30 ml/1 fl oz. sugar syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio)
- 10 ml/2 teaspoons egg white
- 15 ml/½ fl oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Soda water, to top up
- Orange zest (squeezed and discarded), to serve
- Edible flower, to garnish
Method:
Combine the whisky, nashi pear liqueur, sugar syrup, egg white, lime juice, and bitters together in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (without ice) first to emulsify the egg white. Add some ice and shake again, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve/strainer into a glass tumbler. Top up with soda water. Squeeze the orange zest over the drink to express its oils, then discard the zest. Garnish with an edible flower.
Plum Iced Tea
Image Description: A vibrant glass of Plum Iced Tea filled with ice and garnished with a slice of plum. It sits on a dark, textured surface next to a traditional black Japanese teapot, suggesting a blend of classic and modern elements.
Plum wine, also known as umeshu, is a delicious liqueur with a sweet, fruity flavor. This recipe balances the fragrant bitterness of black tea to create a refreshing and unusual iced tea. For a non-alcoholic version, simply use a measure of fermented plum cordial with cold black tea.
Ingredients:
- 15 ml/½ fl oz. Fermented Plum Cordial*
- 15 ml/½ fl oz. plum wine
- 50 ml/1¾ fl oz. cold black tea
- Soda water, to top up
- Fresh plum slices, to garnish
Method:
Pour the plum cordial, plum wine, and cold black tea into a highball glass full of ice. Top up with soda water and garnish with slices of fresh plum.
*FERMENTED PLUM CORDIAL: 100 g/3½ oz. chopped plums (stones removed), 3 g yeast (preferably White Labs sake yeast), 500 ml/2 cups water, 60 g/2 oz. caster/granulated sugar by weight, 1% citric acid by weight.
Combine the chopped plums and yeast in a large mason/kilner jar, then cover with the water and stir. Seal the jar and leave to ferment at room temperature for 8–10 days. Taste every 2–3 days after the first 6 days – once the water tastes of the fruit and the flavor is intense enough, strain through a coffee filter. Weigh the fermented plum juice, then measure out 60% of that weight in sugar and 1% in citric acid. Add to the juice and stir until dissolved. Bottle and store the cordial in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Shiso Martini & Shiso Vodka Soda
Image Description: Two shiso-based cocktails are displayed. On the left, a tall glass contains a clear drink with ice and shiso leaves, accompanied by a small bowl of green snacks. On the right, a martini glass holds a pale drink garnished with a red flower and a shiso leaf. Fresh shiso leaves are also visible in the foreground.
Shiso Martini:
Shiso, a beautiful green and purple leaf used in Japanese cuisine, combines well with vermouth in this martini. The drink is kept small to ensure it doesn't warm too much in the glass.
- 50 ml/1¾ fl oz. Shiso Vodka*
- 10 ml/2 teaspoons dry vermouth
- Small shiso leaf, to garnish
Place a small coupe glass in the freezer. Pour the vodka and vermouth into a mixing glass full of ice. Stir well, then strain into the frosted coupe glass. Garnish with a small shiso leaf.
*SHISO VODKA: 300 ml/10½ fl oz. vodka, 3 g fresh shiso leaves.
Add the shiso leaves to the vodka and then leave to steep for 2 hours at room temperature. Bottle and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Shiso Vodka Soda:
Shiso is part of the mint family and has a unique grassy, peppery flavor. It gives a subtle twist to this classically 'clean' drink.
- 40 ml/1½ fl oz. Shiso Vodka*
- 5 ml/1 teaspoon Acidulated Sugar Syrup (Page 7)
- Soda water, to top up
- Edible flower, to garnish
Combine the shiso vodka and acidulated syrup over ice in a highball glass. Briefly stir, then top up with soda. Garnish with an edible flower.
