Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Turning Japanese

If there is one thing I’ve discovered along this mixology mission I’ve set myself on, is that with a basic set of bar staples, you can craft an almost limitless number of tasty concoctions. With that in mind, it was tough to come to a decision on what to make this week. With the exception of bourbon or rye (of which I plan on rectifying soon), I have plenty of bases and mixers, which leads to indecisiveness.  After thinking it over, I decided the Miyako Hotel Special from The Gentleman’s Companion fit the bill for a drink this week. Apologies if it seems I’ve been going to the Charles Baker well too many times, but the man was an amazing wordsmith, and his book is amazing, as I have mentioned before.

The Miyako Hotel Special (from Kyoto Japan)

1 Jigger (1.5 oz) Dry Gin

1 Jigger (1.5 oz) Cointreau

1 Pony (.5 oz) Fresh pineapple juice

.5 Pony (.25 oz) Lemon or lime juice

Shake with finely cracked ice, and pour into a tall four ounce cocktail glass with stem. It is fairly sweet, so step up lemon a trifle and cut down pineapple, if preferred.

Why did I decide on this one? The citrus from the lemon (or lime) and the crispness of the pineapple seemed like it would fit the trend of hot weather drinking. Of which, will be continuing over the summer. It certainly is a summery drink. As Mr. Baker notes, the drink is sweet, but not cloyingly so, which is nice. I personally am wary of overly sweet drinks, and avoid them like the plague. I definitely want to make it again. I plan on keeping the rations the same, except for swapping lime for lemon and seeing how the flavor changes. Baker also suggests increasing the citrus juice while decreasing the pineapple juice to taste.

The drink itself has a citrus front, with hints of orange at the end. If I had to describe the back end of the flavor, I would compare it to a creamsicle almost, which I know sounds odd, but it works. Trust me. The flavor of the gin (Bombay Sapphire) is not up front, but you can definitely tell the booze is there. To sum up, The Miyako Hotel Special categorize is a solid summer afternoon day drinker, or a pre-dinner drink due to the brightness of the flavors. Skip mixing this one once dinner is served.

(Banner image found here)