Is it really Friday already? I have had such a whirlwind of a week that I had not realized Friday had already made it’s appearance. My sister arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday night and I have been soaking in all the time I possibly can with her. We have seen Shibuya, Omotesando, Futakotamagawa…all the places one tries to explain in words but cannot begin to accurately depict.
Cocktail Friday snuck up on me as well. I have to admit that I had nothing planned until this afternoon. So I stopped by the convenience store and picked up a single serving of Umeshu (plum wine) and a bottle of soda water to make one of my favorite Japanese cocktails. Umeshu is made by soaking plums in alcohol for a period of time. Often times a plum is put in the bottom of a glass when served at a restaurant. The plums resemble a massive martini olive, but don’t be fooled! (They are sweet and infused with the flavor of the alcohol.) I don’t know the details of the process, but I do know that the result is a not-too-sweet liquor that can be used in many different ways. I love the flavor of Umeshu, but sometimes it seems too concentrated on its own. Umeshu soda, however, balances the flavor of the Umeshu by adding light, fizzy soda water.
Whether we are out singing karaoke or enjoying a meal at an izakaya, Umeshu soda is a great addition. As I mentioned earlier, I bought my Umeshu at the convenience store. It was not the best Umeshu I have ever had, but it did the trick.I believe plum wine is available in the United States at most liquor stores (but don’t quote me on that as I’ve never really looked…) If you have access to Umeshu, give this a try!
Umeshu Soda
Makes 1 cocktail
Fill a glass with ice. Pour in a half glass of Umeshu and top it off with the soda water. (Optional: add a little fresh lemon juice).
