The world of Japanese drinks is an endlessly fascinating space. Whether it’s the variety of sake or the deep traditions of spirits like shochu and awamori, Japanese drinking culture has something for everyone. And if you’re interested in falling down the Japanese drinks rabbit hole, you’ll want to read The Art Of Mixing Koji Cocktails by Sam Boulton.
An accessible guide to Japanese drinks, the book covers different production methods, categories, brands and cocktails to try.
Excellent for beginners
With the Japanese drinks universe being so expansive, it’s natural to feel a little overwhelmed if you’ve never tried anything like sake before. (Let alone shochu and awamori). Boulton acts as a great guide through the book, breaking down and simplifying what sake, shochu and awamori are, how they’re made and what to try if you’re new to the space. And through each category, the ingredient of koji is explored and how it’s vital to creating each drink. Like a talented mixologist, Boulton blends his subject matter into a satisfying cocktail of information that can be sipped and enjoyed slowly.
There’s actual cocktails involved too. Original cocktails from Boulton and his network that you can make for yourself.
As I write this review, I find myself thinking of how a Bonsai would go down. A mix of Akashi-Tai honjozo tokubetsu sake, giffard lychee, drouin blanche calvados and yuzu bitters. Yes, please. Or, maybe the Koji Colada. Yauemon junmai nigori, fresh blended pineapple juice and coco real served in a highball glass. That’s going to taste good. Fuck it. I’ll have a Lento Chuhai – kokuto shochu, Spanish white vermouth, falernum, peach bitters and top soda – as well.
Stories for professionals
The Art of Mixing Koji Cocktails offers plenty of intriguing stories and commentary for bartenders and sake professionals too. The technicalities of production are straight-forward, while terminology sections provide context on key Japanese words like moromi, ochoko, yamahai etc.
I also appreciate Boulton’s coverage of emerging Japanese drink categories like flavoured sake, liqueurs and aromatised shochu. There are distinctive characteristics that can help professionals dig out the nuances of these subcategories. To weave them into their own drink stories and creations, while championing Japanese culture and tradition.
At its core, The Art of Mixing Koji Cocktails is a love letter to Japanese drinking culture. A manifesto of Boulton’s passion for his subject matter and his determination to further sake, shochu and awamori with every conversation he has. It’s a book to go down as well as any high-quality cocktail.
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