Okinawa Fashion Recipe
basil hayden bourbon, iwai 45, mandorla grappa, okinawa sugar
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Okinawa-style sugar syrup (make ahead)
Method
Okinawa-style sugar syrup (make ahead)
- 1
Make the syrup
Combine 1 cup dark brown sugar (or kokuto if available) and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. Yields roughly 12–14 oz; use 0.5 oz per cocktail.
Cocktail assembly
- 2
Chill glass
Place a rocks glass in the freezer or fill it with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.
- 3
- 4
Stir
Stir the mixture briskly for 20–30 seconds (about 15–20 full rotations) until well chilled, diluted, and slightly viscous. Aim for the mixing glass to feel very cold to the touch.
- 5
Prepare glass and ice
Discard the chilling ice or remove the glass from the freezer. Place one large clear ice cube or several large chilled cubes into the chilled rocks glass.
- 6
Strain
Strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube into the chilled rocks glass using a julep or hawthorne strainer (fine strain not necessary unless using crushed ice).
- 7
Garnish
Express an orange peel over the drink by holding the peel skin-side down above the glass and giving it a firm twist to release the oils, then wipe the rim with the peel and drop it into the drink as garnish.
- 8
Serve
Serve immediately. Sip and note the interplay of bright bourbon spice, savory-sweet Japanese whisky, almond perfume from mandorla grappa, and the deep caramel notes of Okinawa sugar.
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