Yuzu · Zero proof

Kochi Spritz

Name: Kochi Spritz
Yield: 1 drink
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 20 ml yuzu juice; 25 ml honey syrup (see Sourcing and syrups); 110 ml chilled sparkling water, to top; 1 sprig shiso

Yuzu and honey, the same pairing as Korea's yuja cha winter tea. Zero proof, full aroma.

Yuzu in full, from where it grows to how it reaches a glass in Europe, is in the Yuzu chapter.

GlassWine glass, cubed ice.

Build

Servings

20 mlyuzu juice
25 mlhoney syrup (see Sourcing and syrups)
110 mlchilled sparkling water, to top
1 sprigshiso

MethodStir yuzu and honey syrup in the glass until combined. Add ice, top with sparkling water, one gentle stir.

GarnishThe shiso sprig, slapped once between your palms to wake the oils.

Cost estimateCHF 3

A pale yellow spritz in a stemmed wine glass over ice, a sprig of shiso laid across the rim. A whole yuzu with a leaf rests on the linen beside the glass. — Kochi Spritz AI generated.

What to expect in the glass

Bright and floral, with honey rounding the edges rather than sweetening the drink outright. Yuzu and honey is a pairing that predates cocktail culture entirely, which is why it feels familiar even to people who have never tasted yuzu.

Yuzu runs near 4.5 percent citric acid, above lemon, so 20 ml against 25 ml of honey syrup lands on the balanced side of tart rather than the puckering side. It is also the difference between roughly two and three francs of juice in a single zero proof glass.

Slap the herb rather than muddling it. Muddling releases bitterness along with the aroma, and there is nothing here to hide it behind.

Balance note

Shiso is the default because it keeps the drink inside its own region: green, minty, faintly anise. Rosemary works and tastes good, but it is resinous and Mediterranean and quietly relocates the drink to a terrace in Provence.

Simon's note after tasting

Aroma: fragrant yuzu, fresh herbs and delicate floral citrus, with a soft honeyed sweetness underneath.

Palate: bright, sparkling and lightly sweet. Yuzu brings vivid acidity with notes of grapefruit, mandarin and lemon, balanced by the rounded floral sweetness of honey. Shiso adds a fresh green character with subtle mint, basil and spice.

Finish: clean, aromatic and refreshing, with lingering citrus peel, soft honey and fresh herbs.

Overall: light, elegant and highly refreshing. Tart citrus and gentle honey lifted by sparkling water and a fragrant herbal finish.