Sea Witch Recipe

Make the nori simple: combine 0.5 cup granulated sugar and 0.5 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Add the crumbled dried nori sheet to the syrup, reduce heat to low and steep for 5 minutes, stirring gently to infuse. Do not boil vigorously to preserve delicate seaweed aroma.

Remove from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature with the nori still in it for an additional 10–15 minutes for stronger flavor. Taste; it should have a savory/umami seaweed note balanced with sweetness.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container, pressing gently to extract liquid. Discard the solids. This yields roughly 3/4 cup nori simple syrup; refrigerate any leftover for up to 2 weeks.

Prepare the glass rinse: warm or take ~1/2 tsp of the cooled nori syrup and swish it inside a chilled coupe or rocks glass to coat the interior lightly, then discard any excess. If preferred, lightly toast the extra 1/2 sheet of nori over a flame until aromatic and rub along the glass rim instead of syrup.

Add the Roku gin (2 oz), yuzu kosho sake (1 oz), fresh lime juice (0.75 oz), and 3 dashes of ginger bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Add 0.25 oz (about 1/2 tablespoon) of the cooled nori simple syrup to the shaker. This amount provides a balanced touch of umami-sweetness; adjust between 0.25–0.5 oz to taste.

Dry-shake (no ice) for 8–10 seconds to integrate the yuzu kosho sake and lime, then add ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.

Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared coupe (or chilled rocks glass) that has been lightly rinsed with nori syrup to avoid any nori bits in the final drink.

Garnish by floating a thin lime wheel on the surface and optionally express a fine lime zest twist over the top to add bright citrus oils. For extra aroma, set the toasted nori strip (if used) on the rim or float a small crisped piece on the drink.

Serve immediately.