Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

I am ashamed (yes, truly) that I haven’t posted this cocktail long before now. It’s a longstanding favorite of mine, and it’s where my fascination with saké began. Simon Difford created it in 2016—not in Japan, but in London, England. 

One could make this drink with entirely non-Japanese ingredients—any old vodka, dry vermouth, or blended whiskey—and there are saké breweries in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. But where’s the challenge in that? The essence of the drink is a tribute to Japanese spirits and hospitality, so I used only Japanese ingredients the first time I featured this in a public tasting at Pinnacle Wine & Liquor. Most are readily available at Pinnacle or elsewhere in the Rochester area. 

The saké: Tozai Living Jewel is an enjoyable and affordable Junmai saké. After using it in the Geisha Martini, I discovered how much I like saké and began sipping it with a variety of foods, from seafood (not just sushi!) to ham or chicken salad sandwiches and chicken dishes. The rest is history.

The vodka: I used Suntory’s rice-based and obviously Japanese Haku vodka, which is smooth, delicious, and one of the best values on today’s vodka shelves. 

The vermouth: At the time, Pinnacle happened to carry Oka Kura Japanese Bermutto—an aromatized saké that serves very nicely as a vermouth. Lacking that, a quality dry vermouth such as Vya, Dolin, or Noilly Prat will serve, and the recipe calls for only ¼ ounce.

The Japanese blended whisky: I used Suntory Toki blended whisky for my first presentation of this drink. Nikka blends are also excellent, and (again) since the recipe calls for just ½ teaspoon of whiskey, almost any whisky you have on hand will suffice. Blended Scotch whiskies, particularly, have flavor profiles fairly close to Japanese blends (e.g., Dewar’s, Johnnie Walker, or the excellent Maclean’s Nose).

The cucumber: Okay, this won’t be Japanese, but using it for a garnish is Japanese aesthetic minimalism at its very best. It’s elegant visually and appetizing aromatically, and its flavor quickly infuses the drink. Be sure you have a very sharp knife, and use it to carve the **thinnest possible** wafer from (ideally) a seedless English cucumber. My favorite tool for this is a 5.5-inch Kyocera ceramic knife (it’s Japanese, too, and I bought it at Cooks’ World). With due care on my part, it will shave a slice so thin I can read text through it. 

GEISHA MARTINI
1½ oz Tozai Living Jewel or other junmai saké
1½ oz Haku vodka 
¼ oz Dry vermouth (Vya, Dolin, or Noilly Prat)
½ tsp Suntory Toki or other blended whisky
½ tsp Simple syrup (optional)

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice to twice the liquid’s depth. Stir for 10 seconds or so to chill well, then strain the mix into a small, chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a floated wafer-thin slice of cucumber (preferably the seedless English kind).

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.