Amami Ōshima
Recipe:
- 90ml Jougo shōchū
- 7.5ml organic blossom honey syrup (1:1)
- 1/2 bsp rose syrup
- 1 bag or 1 1/2 bsp of high quality English breakfast tea (black)
- 1 dash The Bitter Truth Island Fruit bitters
- 4-5 drops (!) Fee Brothers Cardamom bitters
Add the tea bag or fresh tea leaves to your stirring glass, add the shochu over it, let rest for 4-5 minutes, taste for your desired strength. Take out the tea (save it, high quality tea bags can be used up to 3 times!). Add the remaining ingredients, stir on ice for only 15-20 rotations with large, clear ice (not too much dilution for the elegant shōchū). Double strain (especially with loose tea) into your rocks glass over one large ice cube, garnish with a flower and/or orange zest.
For once, a drink of my own, but based on another ones concept. As a fan of the Jougo shōchū, I looked online to see what else was being made with it and the most interesting find was an old fashioned style drink in the popular PUNCH Magazine (see source).
The "Brown Suger and Beyond" by Dev Johnson (Employees Only) knew how to please, however I wanted to give the drink a few twists to highlight the individual flavors of the shōchū more efficiently.
Its name, by the way, comes from the fact that Jougo shōchū is made with brown sugar, though of course it can mislead some and make you think of maple OF style of drinks with sweet bourbon.
First I substituted the simple syrup, it didn't really do much for me in the drink. Honey, on the other hand, adds a nice note of its own as a compromise, especially the floral tones of blossom honey, complemented by (preferably homemade) rose syrup.
The TBT bitters again underscore the tropicality of the shōchū, and the really only a few drops of cardamom bitters again add the necessary complexity with the tea.
An elegant and quite unique drink. You can play with it for a long time in the mouth to bring out many flavors, but like the shōchū itself it is silky, notes of lychee, dragon fruit, guava, dried pineapple, lemongrass and light notes from the flower garden, only as a hint in the background, give a small Zen experience. Renamed my version simply after the dreamlike, Japanese Pacific island where the Jougo is made.
Source “Brown Sugar and Beyond”: Link
