Watashi No Jonestu cocktail recipe by The Prince Akatoki
Transport yourself to the sunnier climes of Asia with The Prince Akatoki's recreation of one of Japan's most popular cocktails
Japan is not all about sushi and sake. While the country’s renowned rice wine is now popular all over the world, it would be remiss to ignore its unique stock of gin, whisky and other spirits that form a number of signature serves now appearing on cocktail menus across the world.
One famous Japanese recipe is the Whisky Highball. Consisting of only whisky, ice and soda, it is the technique that turns this cocktail into an art form, requiring precise stirring as layers of hand-cut ice are built up in a tall glass. Another popular recipe, which many outside of Japan are yet to try, is Watashi No Jonestu. Meaning ‘passion’ in Japanese, this highball is one of the most popular drinks in the land of the rising sun, and lives up to its name by marrying the merriment of creative fizzy flavours with delicate technique.
Images: Lateef Photography
Naturally then, when The Prince Akatoki’s head bartender, Antonio Papariello, was compiling the cocktail menu for the five-star Japanese hotel in Marylebone, he knew the Watashi No Jonestu was essential. Served in The Malt bar, which he says “aims to take guests on a journey through this wonderful country by exploring flavours, produce and cooking techniques from different prefectures through cocktails,” this serve is now the hotel’s signature welcome drink.
Papariello adds: “To recall and elevate the citrusy notes of lemon, orange and grapefruit that distinguish Tanqueray No. Ten gin, we [added] yuzu, a typical Japanese citrus. The herbaceous notes of the angelica root are then accentuated by the use of shiso leaves in the shaker while the mirin syrup marries its sweet tanginess with the floral finishing notes of the spirit.” Fancy it? Learn how to recreate a simplified version of this recipe at home.
Recipe
Watashi No Jonestu
Ingredients
- Tanqueray No. Ten gin 35ml
- Mirin 15ml
- Yuzu juice 10ml
- Shiso leaf 2, whole
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together with one shiso leaf in a cocktail shaker.
- Filter with a coffee filter to give the drink its clear colour.
- Pour into a highball glass over a large cube of ice and garnish with the remaining shiso leaf.
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