Japanese Whisky Cocktails
A handful of drinks worth making, each with the style of whisky it wants.
Exploring Japanese whisky cocktails
Whisky was not the first Western spirit to reach Japan, but it was the first one the country set about making itself. Kakubin put it within everyday reach and the highball made it a habit, and together they turned a curiosity into an industry.
Once whisky was that familiar, mixing it was the obvious next step. These are the ones worth making, and the style of whisky each drink asks for.
10 cocktails
Japanese Highball
The house pour of every izakaya in Japan, and the serve most Japanese blends were built for.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 2 minutes
- takes
- 1.5
- std drinks
Japanese Penicillin
Japanese whisky, lemon, honey and ginger, finished with a smoky whisky float. Bright, warming and spicy with a light layer of smoke.
- Medium
- difficulty
- 5 minutes
- takes
- 1.9
- std drinks
Japanese Whisky Ginger
Japanese whisky and ginger ale over ice, brightened with a squeeze of citrus. Simple, refreshing and built for easy drinking.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 2 minutes
- takes
- 1.5
- std drinks
Japanese Whisky Sour
Sharp, soft and faintly floral. The drink that shows what a Japanese malt does with acid.
- Medium
- difficulty
- 5 minutes
- takes
- 2.0
- std drinks
Mizuwari
Whisky and water, in a precise ratio, stirred a specific number of times. Japan's dinner-table serve.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 3 minutes
- takes
- 1.5
- std drinks
Toki Old Fashioned
Toki whisky, honey syrup and grapefruit bitters in a bold, elegant classic.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 1-3 min
- takes
- 2.0
- std drinks
Tokyo Mule
Japanese whisky, ginger beer and yuzu over ice. Spicy, citrusy and refreshing.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 3 minutes
- takes
- 1.3
- std drinks
Tokyo Sidecar
Japanese whisky, orange liqueur and a little yuzu. A bright, shaken twist on the classic Sidecar.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 5 minutes
- takes
- 2.8
- std drinks
Ume Highball
Japanese whisky, umeshu and soda over ice. Light, gently sweet and tart, with the soft stone-fruit character of Japanese plum.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 3 minutes
- takes
- 1.5
- std drinks
Whisky Pear
Three ingredients, no shaker, and a head of foam that comes from the pear rather than an egg.
- Easy
- difficulty
- 5 minutes
- takes
- 1.5
- std drinks
