Japanese Cocktails

Beverage consultant Kato gives readers a guide to Japanese libations in this eye-catching but impractical guide. Divided by main ingredient (sake, shochu, whisky, and miscellaneous), Kato offers brief overviews of each liquor before pulling out the shaker. Most drinks are straightforward, calling for only a couple ingredients, but the devil is in the details: readers will need to track down dried shark fin for a Tsukiji Cup, kabosu juice for a Sea of Japan, and the nearly ubiquitous yuzu juice and fresh lychees for many others. Assuming readers can locate the requisite mixers, they can choose from a long list of drinks, including the Tokyo Sidecar (whisky, triple sec, and yuzu juice), a modified Manhattan, an Aloe Margarita, and a Yuzu Mojito. Sake Eggnog-sake and a beaten raw egg-is meant to fend off a cold. A series of sake shooters incorporate everything from salmon roe to broiled scallops. Kato's advice on selecting and storing sake will help those new to Japanese spirits, but casual tipplers without access to a well-stocked liquor store or grocer will probably be happier at their favorite Japanese watering hole.