Yuzu Lemon Drop Recipe

Infuse

In a clean jar combine 12 oz neutral vodka and 6 fresh green shiso leaves. Seal and let sit at room temperature for 6–24 hours, tasting after 6 hours. When the vodka has a bright herbal shiso note, strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter into a clean bottle. Discard leaves. Use in cocktail recipe as 'shiso-infused vodka.'

Place 1 tsp fine sugar and 0.25 tsp grated yuzu or lemon zest on a small plate and mix. Wipe the rim of a chilled coupe or martini glass with a little lemon juice (or yuzu) and dip into the sugar-zest mixture to coat the rim lightly. Chill glass while you mix the cocktail.

Add 2 oz shiso-infused vodka (or plain vodka), 0.75 oz yuzu juice, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz passion fruit purée, 0.5 oz almond orgeat, and 0.25 oz simple syrup (if you prefer sweeter) into a cocktail shaker.

Dry Shake (if using egg white)

If using egg white (0.5 each) for a silky foam, add it to the shaker and perform a dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 12–15 seconds to emulsify.

Wet Shake

Add ice to the shaker (enough to fill) and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until very cold and slightly frothy. If you did a dry shake first, this second shake chills and dilutes the cocktail properly.

Double strain the cocktail into the prepared chilled coupe glass to remove ice shards and any pulp. Use a fine mesh strainer over a Hawthorne if available.

Float half a passion fruit (scoop of seeds and pulp) gently on top of the cocktail for aroma and visual appeal, or spoon about 0.25 oz of passion fruit pulp as a float. Tear a shiso leaf, slap it once to release aromatics, and place it on the surface or rest it on the rim.

Serve immediately. The sugared yuzu rim will give a bright citrus bite; the shiso note from the vodka pairs with the almond orgeat and passion fruit for a layered, balanced Lemon Drop.