Shiso Fine
- Yield:Makes 1 cocktail and enough Cucumber Vinegar for 8 drinks
- Active time:15 minutes
- Total time:15 minutes
A nonalcoholic drink made with shiso and mint, brightened with rice wine vinegar and green apple juice. [Photo: Vicky Wasik]
Cucumber and mint are common cocktail ingredients, but this one is a little more unusual thanks to the addition of delicate rice wine vinegar and shiso, a mint relative that's often used in Asian cuisines.
Why It Works
This recipe appears in:
Make Mint the Star of Your Next Cocktail- Mocktails often lack the savory flavors contributed by booze; here cucumber fills in some of those notes.
- Rice wine vinegar adds tangy brightness to this drink, paired with fresh green apple juice for sweetness.
Ingredients
- For the Cucumber Vinegar:
- 1/2 cup sliced cucumber (peel on)
- 1 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- For Each Drink:
- 2 shiso leaves, plus 1 extra for garnish
- 8 mint leaves
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup (see note above)
- 3 ounces fresh Granny Smith apple juice (see note above)
- 1 ounce Cucumber Vinegar
- 1/4 ounce fresh juice from 1 lime
Directions
-
1.
For the Cucumber Vinegar: In a small bowl, combine cucumbers and rice wine vinegar. Let stand 5 minutes, then strain. Reserve Cucumber Vinegar for cocktails, and serve cucumber slices as a snack, if desired.
-
2.
For Each Drink: Add shiso, mint, and simple syrup to a highball glass. Muddle, pressing gently, until mint fragrance is noticeable; do not tear or mash the leaves. Add apple juice, cucumber vinegar, and lime juice and fill glass with ice. Stir until well chilled, about 10 seconds. Garnish with shiso leaf and serve immediately.