The Cocktail Spirit with Robert HessJapanese

 

It's hard for me to understand how the Japanese cocktail has slid into obscurity. While you might find it listed in some of the modern cocktail books, you'll be hard pressed to find one that uses the original recipe from Jerry Thomas' "Bar Tenders Guide" published in 1887. Properly made this drink has the sweet almond flavor of the orgeat balanced against the brandy and the bitters to present a very enticing drink.

Comments
Robert Hess 17 Aug 2007
10:34 am

Every time I have a Japanese cocktail I have to wonder why this drink isn’t more common. One of the great things I like about it for the home mixologist, is that it doesn’t require you to have to have any fresh lemons or limes on hand, and yet it isn’t as “boozy”  as a Martini or Manhattan.

Matt 26 Jan 2008
5:06 pm

I just tried this with grapefruit bitters and this cocktail really sung.

Robert Hess 26 Jan 2008
5:10 pm

“snug”... I assume that’s a good thing :->

Okinawa 10 Feb 2008
11:23 pm

More popular in Japan? Real Japanese drinks are Sake and Awamori smile

Ivana 30 Apr 2009
6:07 am

mmmm just made one… great cocktail!

One question: What is the shelf life of orgeat syrup? Or any other similar flavored syrup? Is it ok to keep it on the shelf? I`ve got Monin orgeat and it says it requires no refrigeration, but it doesn`t say how long can it last after being opened?

Robert Hess 30 Apr 2009
9:35 am

When it “goes bad”, it will be due to obvious bits of mold growing inside of the bottle. The sugar content in the syrup itself will help keep it self stable, many syrups have enough so you don’t need to worry. I keep my syrups on the shelf, but I also often take the safeguard of adding a shot of high-proof vodka to them as well, since the alcohol will also help keep it shelf-stable.

Post a Comment
You must be registered and logged in to post comments.

Register for a New Account

Login to Your Account