Recipes for "How to Use Japanese Whisky in a Cocktail" with Chris Lane

We are so excited to announce our very first Zoom cocktail event with our great friend Chris Lane, bartender extraordinaire and currently the Skurnik Wines West Spirits Specialist.

Ever wonder how to use Japanese whisky in cocktails? Which whisky to use? What cocktails to make? Well you're not alone – we receive these questions all the time, and so does Lane, so we've set up this Zoom seminar on Wednesday October 28th, to answer all your burning questions about using Japanese whisky in cocktails.

He's chosen Iwai 45 to make two cocktails during the event. See all the tools and recipes you'll need for the event below – line up all the ingredients, and get ready for Lane to take us on a wild Zoom ride with Japanese whisky!

Tools needed for the event
1 barspoon
1 set of shakers – either a cobbler shaker or Boston set of tins
1 set of jiggers (2oz/1oz and 0.75oz/0.5oz)
1 peeler
1 teaspoon
Extra credit: large ice mold

Cocktail demonstrations for the event

1. Rich Maple Old Fashioned
2oz Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky
1 tsp Rich Simple Syrup* orGrade B Maple Syrup 
2 dash Angostura or other aromatic bitters (like the Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters)
1 large "rock" ice

Build drink in a large rocks glass and stir on ice for 10 seconds
Garnish with a large peel of orange

*Rich Simple Syrup
1. Measure 1 cup of raw unrefined sugar into a saucepan
2. Measure half cup of hot water into sugar on low heat.
3. Stir mixture until no sugar crystals are left (do not simmer or boil)
4. Let cool, bottle, and date. Will last in the fridge for up to 1 month

2. Gold Rush
2oz Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky
0.75oz lemon juice
0.75oz Kuma Honey Syrup*
Shake all hard for 6 seconds and strain over a large rock in an old fashioned glass
Garnish with a large peel of lemon

*Kuma Honey Syrup Recipe
Make a day ahead of time

1. Measure 4 oz of Kuma Honey (or 1 jar) into a medium saucepan
2. Measure a quarter cup of hot water and mix into the honey on low heat.
3. Stir mixture until all the honey is incorporated (do not simmer or boil)
4. Let cool, bottle, and date. Will last in the fridge for up to a month. 

3 extras to try at home

Boulevardier
1.5oz Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky
0.75oz sweet vermouth (Cinzano 1775 or Carpano Antica work well here)
0.5oz Campari
0.25oz Gran Classico Bitter*

Build in a rocks glass.
Add cubed ice and stir for 10-15 seconds
Garnish with a large peel of orange

*You can omit the Gran Classico if not desired and just measure 0.75oz of Campari instead.

Whisky Smash
2oz Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky
0.5oz Rich Simple Syrup (see recipe above)
3 lemon wedges
6-8 mint leaves

In a shaking tin or pint glass, muddle all ingredients together lightly – smash, do not tear. Pro tip: when building the drink make sure to add the mint leaves first so they are on the bottom of the vessel. Adding the lemon wedges next will give them a little protection from being over muddled.

Shake all with ice for 6 seconds and strain through a fine mesh tea strainer onto fresh ice in a rocks glass.

Garnish with a large tip of fresh mint and a lemon slice.

Whisky Buck
2oz Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky
1oz lemon juice
0.5oz Rich Simple Syrup (see recipe above)
0.25oz Ginger Syrup*
1.5oz seltzer

Shake all but soda water with ice for 6 seconds
Fill a highball glass with ice and the 1.5oz seltzer
Strain cocktail over the ice and seltzer
Garnish with a lemon peel

*Ginger Syrup
1. Measure 1 cup of fresh ginger juice** into a saucepan and turn heat to medium
2. Measure 0.5 cup of raw sugar into the ginger juice
3. Cook and stir mixture until no sugar crystals remain and all is incorporated (do not simmer or boil)
4. Let cool, bottle, and date. Will last in the fridge for up to a month.

**Ginger can be juiced in a slow or masticating juicer for best results. If you don’t have a juicer you can blend ginger root with a small amount of water in a standing blender. Strain the mixture through cheese cloth and then squeeze the bejesus out of the cloth, ringing out any trapped juice.