Whisky and Green Tea Cocktail
This Whisky and Green Tea Cocktail features Japanese whisky, strong green tea, and a little yuzu syrup. Japanese whisky is well-balanced and refined, the green tea pairs beautifully, and the yuzu syrup provides both tang and subtle sweetness. Whiskey lovers are sure to love this Asian-inspired cocktail!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – What is Japanese Whisky?
Japanese whiskey is a style of whisky (spelled without the “e” like Scotch) that originated in Japan in the early 20th century. It’s celebrated for its precision, elegance, and balance, often drawing comparisons to Scotch whisky due to shared techniques—but with a distinct Japanese sensibility.
When I started working on this green tea cocktail, it occurred to me that a Japanese whisky might pair well with it. As much as I love whiskey cocktails (especially bourbon), I knew nothing about Japanese whisky. Thus, the research began!😃
Key Characteristics
Production Style
Production Style
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
strong green tea, and yuzu syrup.
- green tea – If you have ever had a cocktail that includes tea, you may have wondered if the bartender forgot to add it? We’re making a green tea concentrate, so that you actually taste it in the cocktail! NOTE: You want to increase tea quantity (2 times recommended amount), rather than brewing longer. Over-brewing tea makes it bitter.
- Japanese Whisky – I chose a widely available Japanese whisky, but if you have a favorite, feel free to give it a whirl. I will follow up this recipe/post by substituting an American whisky, and update this post with my feedback.
- yuzu syrup – Yuzu is tart and aromatic—like a blend of lemon, lime, and grapefruit with a fragrant floral edge. Its flavor is pretty intense, so a little goes a long way. I chose this yuzu syrup as it has less sugar, and has fewer calories. It’s a concentrated yuzu flavor, and not very sweet. It has 50 calories per ounce, and is made with whole ingredients. You might want to taste your yuzu syrup before proceeding. I have seen several brands, and they have 90-100 calories per ounce, and that suggests to me that they contain more sugar.
- garnishes – A lemon peel garnish is super simple with this cocktail channel knife. I was originally hoping to garnish with fresh mint leaves, but alas, it was not to be. The hot and humid weather had wiped my mint out! Candied ginger would also work well.
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🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Make the green tea – Unless you have the strong green tea already made, you’ll need to allow 20-25 minutes. This is a double-strength tea. I recommend 4 tea bags to 12 ounces of boiling water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then pour over the tea bags. Steep 2-3 minutes, then remove the tea bags. NOTE: Leaving the tea bags long results in bitter flavor. Cool before using!
- Prepare glass – Add an ice spear, large cube, or 4-5 ice cubes to a highball glass.
- Make the cocktail – Fill a cocktail mixing glass half full with ice cubes. Add the whisky, green tea, and yuzu syrup. Stir vigorously for 20-30 seconds,
❓FAQ
Yes and no. You can substitute another sweet-sour syrup that is citrus-based. You may need to play with the amount you use to get it properly balanced.
💡 Tips
Make extra green tea if you anticipate really enjoying the cocktail! It’s also good in other cocktails!
I chose the elongated ice spears for my highball glasses to reduce dilution from melting. I also chose small highball glasses. I don’t want to top off with club soda, and I don’t want to dilute the flavors any more than necessary! You may have different preferences!
This green tea cocktail was an adventure for me. I love a green tea lemonade at Starbucks, and that combination did inspire me. This is a lovely warm-weather sipper, and one I look forward to enjoying with sushi, ceviche, etc.
Whiskey and Green Tea Cocktail Recipe
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Equipment
- long ice cube sticks ice spear
Ingredients
Strong Green Tea
- 4 green tea bags
- 12 ounces water
Whisky and Green Tea Cocktail
- 2.5 ounces Japanese whisky
- 2.5 ounces strong green tea
- 1 ounce yuzu syrup - see Ingredients Notes in post
- garnish - lemon peel, mint leaves, candied ginger…
Instructions
- Add an ice spear, single large cube, or 4-5 ice cubes to a highball glass
- Add ice cubes to a cocktail mixing glass about half full.
- Add the Japanese whisky, green tea, and yuzu syrup. Stir vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
- Strain into prepared glass. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
This cocktail was my introduction to Japanese whisky. The yuzu syrup is a great addition. The flavors are well-balanced and ideal for sipping slowly on a leisurely warm afternoon.