Yuzu · With alcohol
Toji Highball
The winter solstice bath, drinkable. The most executive friendly drink in this book.
GlassTall highball, the clearest ice you can make.
- 45 mlJapanese whisky, a blended style such as Toki works well
- 10 mlyuzu juice
- 10 mlsimple syrup
- 90 mlchilled soda water, to top
MethodBuild in the glass over ice in this order: whisky, yuzu, syrup. Stir five times. Top with soda poured down the side. Stir once, gently. A highball is ruined by enthusiasm.
GarnishA wide strip of yuzu or lemon peel, expressed over the surface and dropped in.
Cost estimate[VERIFY: booklet page 18 prices yuzu juice per unit but not the whisky or soda, so a full drink cost cannot be computed from source material]
What to expect in the glass
Dry, long and aromatic. The whisky stays legible instead of being sweetened into anonymity, and the yuzu arrives as perfume in the nose before it registers as acidity on the palate. That order matters. It is what separates this from a whisky sour.
Expressing the peel is doing most of the aromatic work. The oil in yuzu rind is more distinctive than the juice, and it sits on the surface where your nose meets it first.
Serve this at the start of an evening. It is the drink in this book most likely to be ordered twice.
Balance note
Printed as written, and I would not change a measure. This is the best balanced build in the booklet.
The 10 ml of yuzu against 10 ml of syrup is a clean one to one that keeps the whisky in charge, and at roughly 145 ml total liquid over ice the dilution lands where a highball should. The ratio holds if you scale it up for a group.
One technical note. Ice quality matters more here than anywhere else in the book, because there is nothing to hide behind. Use the largest, clearest cubes you have and chill the glass first. Cloudy ice from a hotel machine will not ruin it, but it will make you notice.
Simon's note after tasting
Aroma: bright yuzu peel and fresh citrus oils, followed by green apple, delicate honey and subtle vanilla.
Palate: crisp, sparkling and exceptionally refreshing. Yuzu brings vivid citrus acidity and aromatic complexity, lifting the lighter fruit and herbal notes of the whisky. The syrup softens the edges without adding noticeable sweetness, and the soda opens everything up.
Finish: clean and dry, with lingering grapefruit, yuzu zest, gentle ginger spice and a whisper of oak.
Overall: precise, citrus driven and elegant. Refreshing first, whisky second, with enough fruit, spice and aromatic depth to keep every sip interesting.