Now that we’re at the hemicycle of the year, a nice and easy cocktail sounds appropriate, considering we’ve all had our share of pits at some point. In short, we all deserve a drink. But since being at home has become the recurrent theme, we won’t overcomplicate things for your benefit. While we swoon over timeless flavours like the martini, the margarita, or the Manhattan, a part of us is wheeled into innovative and nontraditional mixes. Whether you’ve gotten yourself into this new hobby of exploring alcoholic drinks or hunting for a line-up you want to share with friends or family members in your next happy hour at home, these easy Japanese cocktails are sure to make an impression.
1. Lemon Sour
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Nothing spells out easy like a good ol’ Lemon Chu-hai. This Japanese concoction, which is commonly served in izakaya-style restaurants, is made with shochu, soda water, fruit juice, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. In a tall, frozen glass, add a few ice cubes and equal parts of shochu and fruit juice. Top up the remainder with club soda and lemon juice, and then give it a good stir. If your local supermarket doesn’t carry shochu, you can always use vodka as an alternative.
2. Umeshu Tonic
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This may or may not be your first time hearing about umeshu, as it’s already becoming increasingly popular outside Japan, but if it is, then you’re in for a treat! For a brief introduction: Umeshu is often likened to slow gin; it’s the product of ume fruits that have been steeped in shochu or another clear alcohol and sugar for several months. To make this drink, mix one part umeshu with three parts tonic water. Piece of cake, right? Now serve it with ice for optimal enjoyment.
3. Umetini
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We know what you’re thinking: “This almost sounds like the previous cocktail.” Well, you’re partly right about that. But instead of tonic, this time we’re mixing umeshu with gin. If you’re a gin devotee, you’re likely to sip this one clean. To create this Japanese twist to a classic martini, you’ll have to pour umeshu and gin into a glass. We recommend adding a dash of cranberry juice if you’re nursing a sweet tooth. Mix well and pour the mixture into a chilled martini glass. Cap it off with a sour plum for the extra flavour.
4. Sake Bomb
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Thought to have come from American soldiers occupying Japan in the 1940s, the sake bomb is best experienced with a company. So make sure your next happy hour at home involves participants willing to get buzzed quickly. For this, all you need is a bottle of sake and beer. The fun doesn’t end there; it begins when you balance a sake shot on a pair of chopsticks over a pint of beer. Then slam the table using the fist to make the shot fall into the beer—a.k.a. the “bomb.” To liven up the game, count to three in Japanese before someone strikes the table. In unison, say: “ichi, ni, san, sake bomb!”
5. Whisky Highball
The last cocktail on this list might resonate with those who merely want to end an evening on a chill note. The whisky highball has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in Japan since its introduction in the 1950s. This simple, refreshing, and classic combination of whisky and soda was the drink of choice among Japanese businessmen throughout the 1960s and 1970s, owing to the opening of Torys bars (a chain of bars created by Shinjiro Tori, founder of Suntory, dedicated to serving Japanese whiskies) following World War II.
To create it, you will need a chilled highball glass and large cubes of ice. If the highball glass is not chilled, add the large cubes of ice and give them a stir in the glass. Next, add around 45ml of a Japanese whisky into the glass and fill up the rest of the glass with 90ml of club soda and give it a gentle stir. The key here is not to over stir it so it doesn’t lose its fizz.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous than usual, you can add lemon peel for an extra burst of flavour.
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