Shochu Melon Citrus Cocktail

A nice drink for any season is the SHOCHU MELON CITRUS COCKTAIL. The Japanese hard liquor, shochu (detailed below), is extremely popular in Japan, but not as well known internationally as its sake. Shochu’s clean and mild flavor is similar to vodka in allowing many elaborations and opportunities for cocktails. Here’s one that can be fine-tuned to suit your taste:

Requirements: Shochu, melon liqueur (Midori preferred), club soda or seltzer (optional) fresh lemon juice, cherry and/or orange slice

• 1.5 oz. shochu
• 1.5 oz. Midori melon liqueur
• .75 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1.5 oz. club soda or seltzer (optional)
• maraschino cherry and/or orange slice for garnish

Add all ingredients except club soda to an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled glass. A dash (1.5 oz.) of club soda or seltzer may be added. Stir gently. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and/or orange slice.

Shochu: In Japan, shochu is actually more popular than sake and is different in several ways. Shochu is distilled; sake is fermented. Shochu is made from either barley, sweet potato or rice; sake is made only from rice. Shochu is stronger at 25-30% alcohol; sake is 15-18% alcohol. Good quality shochu – Honkaku Shochu, or classic shochu – is single distilled, so it retains the characters of the base ingredient. A sweet potato shochu is very different from a rice shochu. Because of the variations in flavor, not all shochu works in every shochu cocktail. For recommendations on the best 2022 Shochu to drink, follow this link: http://www.liquor.com/best-shochu-5197683

Comments: I used a roasted barley-derived Honkaku Shochu which gave it a slight nutty/sesame flavor. I liked adding the dash of club soda.

Similar cocktails:

Pink Peppercorn Botanical Gimlet: https://keetscocktails.com/pink-peppercorn-botanical-gimlet/

Melon Ball Drop: https://keetscocktails.com/melon-ball-drop/