The Mt Fuji Cocktail is a creative riff on the Martini. The elegant, shochu-based drink classifies somewhere between a classic interpretation and the more contemporary versions. -With a tendency towards the latter.
Quick Facts Mt. Fuji Cocktail
- Method: shaken
- Flavor profile: boozy, slightly bitter
- How to serve it: straight up
- Best glassware: Coupe Glass
- Alcohol content: ~ 29%, 27 grams of alcohol per serving
Equipment
- 1 Jigger
- 1 Muddler
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Hawthorne Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 oz Kome Shochu
- 0.75 oz Simple syrup
- 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
- 4 Basil leaves
- 0.25 oz Pomegranate juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except Pomegranate juice into a cocktail shaker and gently muddle them.2 oz Kome Shochu, 0.75 oz Simple syrup, 1 oz Fresh lemon juice, 4 Basil leaves
- Add ice and shake until the drink is well-chilled.
- Strain into a chilled Martini glass, add a splash of pomegranate juice and enjoy!0.25 oz Pomegranate juice
Nutrition
Ingredients of the Mt Fuji cocktail
In the classic recipe, we only need two ingredients, but the list for this Mt Fuji Cocktail variation is a bit longer:
- Shochu: First of all, you need quality rice-based product. My Shochu recommendation for this drink is Hakutake Shiro Shochu. It is a premium product and the best-selling Kome Shochu in Japan. It's a light, clean spirit with subtle flavors and an elegant aroma.
- Simple syrup - sugar syrup for cocktails. You can make it at home or buy it in the supermarket. Both work great.
- Fresh lemon juice: Your lemon juice should be freshly squeezed, as always, if you want to mix quality cocktails.
- Pomegranate juice: Ideally, the red, sweet juice is also fresh. If you don't want to go through the trouble, make sure to stay away from concentrate.
- Basil leaves: fresh basil adds a herbal touch to the tart, sweet drink.
- Garnish: The original garnish would be a slice of Fuji apple, but any other crisp, juicy red apple works, too.
Tipps to make the Mt Fuji Cocktail
Making this refreshing Martini twist is pretty straightforward. The drink is served straight up. Hence, we recommend chilling all components - that includes the glass. For this, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes or add ice cubes while mixing and remove them before pouring.
Once you have taken care of that, add Shochu, syrup, lemon juice, and basil leaves into a cocktail shaker and muddle gently.
Then add plenty of ice cubes and shake until the drink is chilled. Typically this means about 8 to 12 seconds of vigorous shaking. -Shaking, not stirring, because this Martini includes non-alcoholic ingredients.
After that, strain the cocktail into your chilled Martini glass and add just a splash of pomegranate juice.
Finally, garnish the cocktail if you like. You could use a basil leaf or a thin slice of Fuji apple. -Or you don't. After all, the Japanese are masters of minimalism.
What is Shochu, anyway?
Japan's most loved alcoholic spirit is neither Sake nor Japanese Whisky. No, Shochu is the most popular alcoholic drink. Mostly unknown outside the country, it is the star of many Japanese cocktails.
Shochu is a distilled spirit that usually contains between 25% and 35% ABV. It can be made from all sorts of base ingredients and is produced either in a single-step distillation process (Honkaku) or multiple-step distillation (Korui).
Depending on its base (there are over 50 options to choose from), Shochu can be classified into different types. The most common types of Shochu are Imo (sweet potato), Mugi (barley), and Kome (rice). But there are many more.
Typically, it is consumed neat or on the rocks. Yet, there are also many other ways to drink Shochu.
Related Cocktail Recipes
The Martini is a truly sophisticated mixed drink. -Not only James Bond favors sipping this elegant two-ingredient cocktail.
Besides the Dry Martini, Vesper, and other classic riffs, there are also modern Martini twists and recipes, mostly sharing not more than the glass with the original but still delightful. Try
- the Espresso Martini
- the Chocolate Martini
- or Lemon Drop Martini
If you want to make some more drinks with the Japanese spirit, check out our favorite Shochu Cocktails.
Thanks for this drink, nice to read.