Kanpai

habanero

Name This Cocktail!

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As you may know, I recently infused some Suntory Juhyo Special shochu with fresh habanero (process described here). After 3 days of infusion I ended up with an *extremely* spicy shochu with a very nice flavor when cut with water.

Inspired by a friend of mine who is a bit of a budding mixologist, I made this cocktail.

2 ounces of habanero infused shochu

1.5 ounces of raw simple syrup

4.0 ounces of seltzer water 

2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

Pluck the mint leaves from the stems. Tear each leaf into smaller pieces. Mint is a very delicate herb – muddling destroys its character while tearing releases the oils without turning it into pulp. … Read More “Name This Cocktail!”

Habanero Infused Shochu

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Today we’re going to try a recipe – our first – a habanero infused shochu. I needed some use for my leftover  Juhyo Special Suntory, which was nigh well undrinkable in its undiluted form. Apparently I am not the first person to have this idea for salvaging Suntory shochu.

I started with fresh, locally sourced habanero peppers, which I was able to procure at the Columbia Greenmarket. I purchased a handful, but only needed one. The others will be used for similar experiments, I’d imagine. I diced the pepper into a small pieces, retaining the seeds (the “heat”).… Read More “Habanero Infused Shochu”