Toki-o Sour Recipe

Make thyme syrup

Combine 0.5 cups water and 0.5 cups sugar in a small saucepan. Add 4 fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2 minutes to infuse, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain out thyme, reserve syrup. Chill before using. Yields about 6 fl oz; use 0.5 oz per cocktail.

Shake and clarify

In a cocktail shaker add 3 oz Suntory Toki, 2 oz full-fat canned coconut milk, 1 oz fresh lemon juice and 0.5 oz thyme syrup (from previous step). Add several ice cubes and hard-shake for 15–20 seconds until well chilled and frothy. Place a double layer of cheesecloth over a fine-mesh strainer set above a clean container. Pour the shaken mixture slowly through the cheesecloth into the container to begin separating curds. Allow to sit 5–10 minutes so curds form and clarity improves; if necessary, re-filter a second time through fresh cheesecloth. Chill the clarified liquid until cold (this can be prepared ahead and kept refrigerated up to 24 hours).

Measure final base

After clarifying you should have a silky, clear coconut-Toki base. Use approximately 2.5–3 oz of this clarified base per cocktail (the recipe proportions above yield roughly one cocktail; scale as needed).

Build the cocktail

Fill a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass with no ice. Pour 2.5–3 oz of the clarified coconut-Toki base into the glass.

Prepare rye float

In a small measuring jigger combine 0.5 oz Odd Society Prospector rye, 0.25 oz dry red wine and 1 dash Angostura bitters. Gently back-roll or stir once to combine (do not aerate). Using the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the cocktail, slowly pour the rye/red wine mixture so it floats as a thin layer on top of the clarified base.

Garnish and finish

Express a lemon twist over the drink to release oils, then drop or rest the twist on the rim. Lay a fresh thyme sprig over the float as an aromatic garnish. Serve immediately.