The classic gin fizz has a long pedigree in the sour family of cocktails. The drink¡¯s first printed recipe appeared in the United States in Jerry Thomas¡¯ post-Civil War 1876 edition of ¡°The Bar-tenders Guide.¡± Like a sour, the template is a spirit accompanied by some citrus, egg whites and sugar ¡ª for the fizz, you just add soda water.
If you¡¯re not a gin fan, though, what other spirit might tickle your fancy?
Late May last year, I saw those make-your-own-umeshu (plum wine) kits in my local supermarket and decided to finally give it a go. Just this past week, I¡¯ve started to see those same kits return to shelves, which means it is finally time to crack my batch open and cheers to the onset of tsuyu (rainy season).
While umeshu is a classic with ice, soda or both, I made two liters of this stuff if only to experiment with. I played with a ¡°gin fizz¡± template to key into a drink for people who like ume (plum), bubbles and some foam.
The cocktail I found myself with stands out as something approachable for an amateur yet still unique enough for any mixologist to find amusing. With my recipe, instead of gin, I use tequila; instead of lemon, we are going with lime. I love egg whites in my drinks, but Calpis (a dairy-based beverage) concentrate offers a compelling tang to the drink, which helps it go over better with a crowd still not comfortable with the concept of drinking egg. Ginger syrup (available at Kaldi or other specialty stores) or simple syrup are optional, but the added spice is a welcome element.
Equipment:
- A bar jigger, measuring cup or shot glass
- A shaker (I like my Boston shaker, but two cups put together will also do the job)
- A strainer (or a spoon to hold back the ice)
- A juicer
Ingredients:
- 1 oz tequila
- 1 oz umeshu
- ? oz lime juice
- 1 oz Calpis concentrate
- ? oz ginger syrup
- 2 oz soda water
- Ice
- Cut the lime in half, then cut a small wheel to serve as a garnish.
- Juice the two remaining lime halves, then pour the liquid into your shaker. Add all of the other ingredients except the soda.
- Add a handful of ice, close the shaker up and give it a good, hard mix (over the shoulder for some extra flair) for about 30 seconds.
- Add fresh ice into your glass followed by the soda. Strain the shaken contents into the glass.
- Slide the lime wheel onto the rim and serve.
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