One of the biggest features at this year's Bar & Restaurant Expo will be the Japanese Food & Beverage Showcase, which will present an exciting mix of Japanese products, flavors, and globally renowned specialties from 50 leading international suppliers. In honor of this international pavilion, as well as cherry blossom season in Japan (March 23rd-March 31st), we've rounded up some Japanese cocktail recipes from The Art of the Japanese Cocktail.
The Art of the Japanese Cocktail is by Masahiro Urushido of Katana Kitten & Michael Anstendig, editor-in-chief at Hanna Lee Communications. (Note: Urushido is also a finalist for our Industry Impact Award!) In the book, Urushido shares his immense knowledge of Japanese cocktails with 80 drink recipes that exemplify Japan's contribution to cocktails. We've included a few recipes from the book, below!
Bright 'N' Sunny
Urushido's take on a Dark & Stormy
Ingredients:
Cocktail
5 oz Ginger-Lemongrass Tepache
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 3/4 oz Butterfly Pea Flower Tea-infused Banks 5 Island Rum
Garnish: dehydrated pinepple wheel
Ginger-Lemongrass Tepache
3/4 c sugar
4 c water
Skin of 1/2 pineapple, cut into strips with a paring knife
1 c finely chopped fresh ginger
2 lemongrass stalks, dry outer husks removed, finely chopped
1/8 tsp Champagne yeast
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea-infused Banks 5 Island Rum
1 750 ml bottle Banks 5 Island Rum
1 1/2 tsp butterfly pea flower tea leaves
Directions:
For the Ginger-Lemongrass Tepache, in a large container, dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the pineapple skin, ginger, lemongrass, and yeast and cover the top of the container with cheesecloth so that the mixture can "breathe." Set aside at room temperature for 24 hours until the mixture has a funky yet tropical pineapple aroma. Transfer to a large stockpot. Bring the mixture to 185 degrees F over medium heat and simmer for five minutes. Strain through cheesecloth into a 1-liter glass bottle and chill completely. Carbonate using an iSi Soda Syphon or other home carbonation system. Store in the bottle in the refrigerator for up to one week.
For the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea-infused Banks 5 Island Rum, combine the rum and tea in an airtight 1 1/2-pint glass container and infuse for two hours. Strain through cheesecloth into the original rum bottle. Store at room temperature for up to one year.
For the cocktail, place an ice spear or a stack of ice cubes in a frozen highball stein, then add the tepache and lime juice. Using the back of a barspoon, float the rum on top to create a vibrant purple layer as the top third of the drink. Garnish with a dehydrated pineapple wheel.
Calpico Swizzle
Featuring the Japanese soft drink, Calpico
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Bombay Sapphire East gin
3/4 oz nigori sake
3/4 oz Calpico concentrate
1/4 oz Giffard blue curacao liqueur
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz blanc de blanc sparkling wine (or a dry bubbly)
Garnish: cocktail cherry, freshly ground sansho peppercorns, fresh mint sprigs
Directions:
Combine the gin, sake, Calpico, curacao, simple syrup, lime juice, and sparkling wine in a pearl diver-style or Collins glass. Fill the glass three-quarters full with pebble ice or crushed ice. Using a swizzle stick or a barspoon, stir to combine. Mound more pebble ice or crushed ice on top of the drink. Garnish with a cocktail cherry, freshly ground sansho peppercorns, and mint sprigs.
Hinoki Martini
Urushido's take on a saketini
Ingredients:
Cocktail
1 1/4 oz Grey Goose
1 1/4 oz Spring44 Mountain Gin
1/2 oz Lustau "Solera Reserva" fino jarana sherry
1/4 oz Dassai 50 junmai daiginjo sake
5 dashes Hinoki Tincture
Garnish: lemon twist, kombu-brined olive, rakkyo (pickled Japanese scallion bulb), and cypress leaf
Hinoki Tincture
1/2 cup hinoki wood chips
2 cups Everclear or high-proof vodka
Directions:
For the hinoki tincture, combine the wood chips and Everclear in an airtight 1 1/2-pint glass container and allow the chips to macerate for 24 hours. Strain into an airtight 1-pint container glass. Divide some of the tincture into a 4 oz atomizer bottle and a 4 oz dropper bottle, storing the remainder in the glass container. Seal the containers and store in the pantry indefinitely.
For the cocktail, fill a wooden masu cup with pebble ice and place a chilled, stemless martini glass in the ice. Combine the vodka, gin, sherry, sake, and hinoki tincture in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into glass. Express a lemon twist over the surface of the drink and discard, then spray four bursts of hinoki tincture over the drink. Delicately adorn the pebble ice around the glass with a kombu-brined olive, rakkyo, and a cypress leaf.
Plan to Attend the Annual Bar & Restaurant Expo
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend or participate in the annual Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit BarandRestaurantExpo.com for details.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at Bar & Restaurant Expo 2024, contact:
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