Chef Takumi
Awamori Mizuwari (泡盛水割り, awamori with water)
Awamori mizuwari is not a trick of the bar. It is three parts awamori, seven parts cold water, and enough patience to let the black-kōji aroma open.
Culinary Explorer
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Umeshu Soda (梅酒ソーダ, plum highball)
Created by
The izakaya's other highball asks for almost nothing: good umeshu, cold soda, big ice, and a gentle three-to-seven pour that keeps the plum clear.
Beverages
Japanese
Weeknight
BBQ
Outdoor Dining
5 min
Active Time
0 min cook•5 min total
Yield1 drink
Umeshu soda is built on patience you did earlier. The plums were steeped with rock sugar and shōchū or neutral spirit until the liqueur turned amber, sharp at the edge and rounded underneath. Now the drink itself takes one minute, which is the small mercy of a good pantry.
The one detail that decides it is cold dilution. Use large ice, cold umeshu, and colder soda, then stir only enough to bring them together. Stir hard and you beat out the bubbles, melt the ice, and turn a bright plum drink into a sweet puddle wearing a fine suit. Three parts umeshu to seven parts soda is the balance we want here: fragrant, lightly sweet, and clean enough to sit beside grilled fish, yakitori, or a table outdoors.
If your umeshu is homemade, taste it before you mix. Some jars are honeyed and soft, some are tart enough to wake the room. Adjust the pour by a finger, not by adding syrups or sour mix. Nothing hidden. The plum should speak clearly, the soda should lift it, and the glass should leave you ready for the next bite.
Umeshu belongs to the wider Japanese habit of preserving seasonal fruit in alcohol and sugar, and green ume are traditionally prepared in early summer when they appear in markets for only a short window. Commercial umeshu became widely familiar in the twentieth century, but home steeping remains common because the method is simple and the waiting does most of the work. Serving it with soda, called sodawari, fits the modern izakaya table, where lighter highballs are meant to stay friendly with food.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur)
Quantity
60ml
chilled
plain soda water
Quantity
140ml
well chilled
large ice cube
Quantity
1 large cube, or 3 large cubes
preserved ume plum from the jar (optional)
Quantity
1
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur)chilled | 60ml |
| plain soda waterwell chilled | 140ml |
| large ice cube | 1 large cube, or 3 large cubes |
| preserved ume plum from the jar (optional) | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Tall highball glass
- •Bar spoon, or a long iced-tea spoon
- •Jigger or small measuring cup
Instructions
- 1
Chill the glass
Set a tall glass in the freezer for a few minutes, or fill it with ice water while you measure the drink. Cold glass keeps the soda lively and slows the first melt, which matters because this drink is mostly clarity and bubbles.
- 2
Add the ice
Discard the ice water if you used it, then set one large cube, or three large cubes, in the glass. Big ice melts more slowly than small chips, so the umeshu stays plum-bright instead of turning thin before you have reached the table.
- 3
Pour the umeshu
Pour in the chilled umeshu. If it is homemade, taste a few drops first. A sweeter jar can take a little more soda, while a tart one may want the full 60ml. Adjust the liqueur, not the drink with extra sugar.
- 4
Top with soda
Pour the cold soda slowly down the inside of the glass until you reach about 140ml. This gives you the three-to-seven balance: enough umeshu to taste the fruit, enough soda to keep the drink light with food.
- 5
Stir gently
Slide a bar spoon down the side and lift once or twice from the bottom. Stop there. You are marrying the layers, not punishing the bubbles. Drop in the preserved ume if you like, and serve at once.
Chef Tips
- •Use plain soda water, not tonic or lemon-lime soda. Umeshu already carries sweetness and fruit; flavored soda crowds the plum and makes the drink clumsy.
- •The best garnish is the fruit from the jar, if your umeshu has one. It tells the truth of the drink in a single bite, though it is stronger than it looks.
- •For a lighter outdoor glass, keep the same shape and pour 45ml umeshu to 150ml soda. It is less sweet, still honmono, and better for slow drinking beside grilled food.
Advance Preparation
- •Chill the umeshu, soda, and glass before mixing. Cold ingredients do more for this drink than any clever stirring.
- •Homemade umeshu is usually ready after 6 months and rounder after 1 year. Once strained or opened, keep it cool and away from light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 250g)
Calories
120 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
10 mg
Total Carbohydrates
18 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
17 g
Protein
0 g
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