The Japanese Connection

Some years ago, that doughty minstrel of British hegemony, Rudyard Kipling, proclaimed: "Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Old Rudy wasn't much of a prophet. Toyotas and Datsuns, stars of Eastern freeways, have become Yankee-Doodle dandies. Made-in-Japan cameras and TVs captivate consumers of the Western world. Now here comes a freshet of Nipponese alcoholic quaffs: whiskies, liqueurs, vodka, wines, beers, et al. And all this time, you thought the Japanese drank only sake.

The Japanese bottling currently making the biggest splash in the West is Midori, a fruity, melon-scented green liqueur perceived as honeydew by adherents because of its jade hue. Midori was the first melon liqueur, which partially accounts for its popularity. It's light--only 46 proof--and better as a mixer than as an after-dinner drink. A companion bottling, Aki plum liqueur, is agreeable, though not as distinctive as Midori.

Of course, sake is the traditional Japanese brew, but you needn't buckle on your samurai shiv and kneel at a low table when pouring it. In Japan, they're beginning to serve sake chilled or on the rocks; Occidentals tend to blend it in cocktails. Contrary to most impressions, sake is not a wine but a beer--produced by the fermentation of rice. It runs to 16 to 18 percent alcohol, four times the alcohol content of conventional brews, so don't chug it like lager. Sake comes in many styles, including mamushizake--the one in which a poisonous viper is steeped. That'll keep you tall in the saddle. Some 25 sake brands have made it to the States. Among the more familiar are Gekkeikan, Shirayuki, Chi-yoda, Kiku Masamune, Ozeki, Hakutsuru, Genji and Fu-Ki. Gekkeikan also offers an aged Silver. Kiku Masamune has a sibling, Taru, designed to be imbibed chilled. Good luck on the pronunciations.

For the past 30 years, Japanese bibbers have taken to Western-style beer with an enthusiasm once reserved for sake. Kirin is easily the biggie--Stateside and at home. You will also find Sapporo and Asahi in both standard and draught packs. Kirin is currently test-marketing its light beer in the United States but has no plans to favor us with a draught beer.

The Japanese have been distilling whisky for better than half a century, and there are dozens of brands in Japan. Suntory is the one represented in the U. S. at present, offering four labels: Suntory Old (the single largest selling whisky in the world); a lighter Suntory Reserve; Suntory Royal (the flag-bearer in the States); and Suntory Signature, packaged in Japanese crystal at $70 per decanter, give or take a yen. Quipsters have described Japanese whisky as slightly east of Scotch--a neat turn of phrase and right on the mark. It's the closest thing to Scotch whisky outside the Highlands. Indeed, some Japanese whiskies are laced with a healthy measure of aged malt whisky.

Suntory, Japan's ranking distiller, invaded the beer market in 1963, challenging Kirin. Operating by the golden rule, Kirin did unto Suntory as had been done unto it, launching a whisky enterprise in partnership with The Seagram Company Ltd. The Kirin-Seagram whiskies--Crescent, Emblem, Robert Brown and Dunbar--compare very favorably with Suntory. They should, considering the reservoir of experience and savvy Seagram brings to the joint venture. Kirin-Seagram hasn't made it to these shores yet, but bottlings of Nikka, the other major Japanese distiller, do trickle in. Curiously, whisky and milk is a preferred combination in some parts of Nippon. And when junior executives get together for business or social purposes, the drink is likely to be imported Scotch. Status calls a lot of shots in the Land of the Rising Sun.

A clutch of interesting, though disparate, bottlings completes our Eastern roundup. Suntory vodka, which began life as Banzai, is visually appealing in a square bottle with white stylized ice-tree design. Shõun, an unlikely combination of sake and white wine, at 17 percent alcohol, is dry and low-key, suggested as an aperitif over ice. As you may have surmised, Shõgun is designed primarily for the American market. Fruit wines are enjoyed in Japan, and plum is the preferred fruit. They tend to be sweet, with a relieving astringency--good over ice, mixed with soda, taken neat--after dinner. Gekkeikan, Takara and Fu-Ki fruit wines are all available in the States and are moderately priced. Green Tea and Cherry Blossom liqueurs also surface on occasion, but they're not readily available. The tea liqueur, should you stumble onto it, gives a pleasant boost to hot or iced tea.

Down the hatch--or, as they say in the Orient, "Kampai!"

[recipe_title]Dragon's Milk[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1-1/2 ozs. Japanese whisky[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. cold milk or half-and-half[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon Midori or other melon liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste Strip orange peel[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Place cracked ice in shaker; add all ingredients but peel. Shake briskly; strain over fresh ice in 8-oz. highball glass. Twist orange peel over glass and drop in. Stir once.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Madame Butterfly[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1-1/2 ozs. tequila[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. Midori or other melon liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Light pinch salt[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Combine all ingredients in shaker with cracked ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass or over fresh ice in old fashioned glass.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Mount Fuji[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. sake[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. vodka[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. white crème de cacao[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Shredded coconut (optional)[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Shake sake, vodka and liqueur with ice. Pour unstrained into tall, thin glass. Decorate with coconut; serve with straws.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Far East Colada[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Midori or other melon liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. white rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 stick melon, 2" x 1/2"[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. coconut cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. pineapple juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/3 cup crushed ice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Blend all ingredients in blender just until smooth. Pour into chilled collins glass. Decorate with mint sprig, if desired.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Green Kimono[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. vodka[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Midori or other melon liqueur Lime wedge[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Combine vodka and liqueur in shaker with ice; shake well. Pour unstrained into old fashioned glass. Squeeze juice of lime into glass, then add peel. Stir.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Plum Rum[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. plum wine[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. light rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Shake all ingredients briskly with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Tokyo Rose[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. sake[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Aki or other plum liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Japanese whisky[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Cherry, orange slice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Fill tall glass with ice cubes. Add sake, Aki, whisky and orange juice; stir well. Decorate with fruit.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Trans-pacific[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. Aki or other plum liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. California brandy[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. heavy cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/3 cup finely crushed ice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Half slice orange[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Blend liqueur, brandy, cream and ice in blender, just until smooth. Pour into chilled wineglass. Hang orange slice on rim.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]White Tiger[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. sake[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. crème de menthe[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Lemon wheel[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Shake sake and liqueur briskly with cracked ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Hang lemon on rim.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Sake Ball[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. sake[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. ginger beer, chilled[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Lemon wedge[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Pour sake and ginger beer over ice cubes in 8-oz. highball glass or tumbler. Squeeze in juice of lemon and add rind; stir quickly.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Melon Freeze[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. Midori or other melon liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Maraschino cherry with stem[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Pack cocktail glass or saucer champagne with finely crushed ice, mounding ice over top. Pour Midori over slowly. Place cherry on top; plant short straws in glass.[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe_title]Nippon Martini[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1-1/2 ozs. vodka[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. sake[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Cucumber slice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Stir vodka and sake briskly over cracked ice. Strain into cocktail glass or over fresh ice in old fashioned glass. Decorate with cucumber slice.[/drinkRecipe]

The next time your favorite geisha drops by, offer her a choice from your Japanese bar. It's a friendly act and an indication that you're able to appreciate the best of both worlds.