The Mizu Goku is a sour made from black koji rice and barley sochu, goji berry syrup and lemon juice, and garnished with a blossom-shaped goji fruit leather.

By DCist Contributor Nathan Wilkinson

Drinkers all over D.C. will be exposed to new flavors this summer that are bound to make a few people ask, “what’s that in my drink?” This is largely due to the entropy that occurs when you combine a competitive cocktail scene with the heat of the season and the pressure to continually reinvent the summer cocktail menu.

There’s really only so many combinations of your typical spirits, aperitifs, and juices to work with, and most have already been done before—and even trademarked. So mixologists are going to great lengths to break the mold of classic cocktails and introduce flavors you’ve likely never tried before or even considered as an ingredient for a drink.

Much like Ezra Pound did when translating Haiku, beverage director Jamie MacBain is proving that something old can be new again, so long as it comes from distant Japan. This summer he’s rolling out three new sochu drinks with Japanese themes at Daikaya (705 6th Street NW).

The Ninkyo Dantai is a citrusy sling-like drink made with Mugon sochu, lychee syrup, lime juice, and coconut water. While sochu and lychee sound exotic, it’s the coconut water—the same stuff that’s consumed for hydration following hot yoga classes—that comes across as unusual.

“Coconut is one of those things that you really have to concentrate to get much flavor,” says MacBain. While its presence is barely perceptible, coconut water adds a refreshing sweetness where soda would only add fizz. The heart of the drink is the Mugon sochu, a “highly expensive” spirit made from 100 percent rice and aged ten years in oak. “It’s what gives the drink depth where you miss it from the coconut water itself,” says MacBain.

I was astonished by the unusual pairing of Kintaro roasted barley sochu, lemongrass syrup, lemon juice, and carbonated hojicha roasted green tea in the Tea Myself And I. Hojicha, a mildly caffeinated tea with rejuvenating properties adds a toasty dryness to this fizzy drink that approximates a barley whiskey sour. Tea Myself And I is reminiscent of Japanese teahouse teas that accompany sesame rice and sushi dishes.

Finally, the Mizu Goku (of Dragonball Z fandom) is a sour made from black koji rice and barley sochu, goji berry syrup, and lemon juice, and garnished with a blossom-shaped goji fruit leather. The drink is the creation of bartender Denise Jauregui, who found a use for the goji leftovers from squeezing the juice. Flavored with Pimms, the fruit leather gives the Mizu Goku the cuteness of a bento box lunch.

High above Thomas Circle, the DNV (1155 14th Street NW) rooftop bar is serving up unusual cocktails for summer. Here bartender Muriel Beer uses an eyedropper to add the smallest modicum of ghost pepper tincture to a cocktail called Front Porch. It’s an innocuous-looking drink made with Banks rum, white peach and passion fruit puree, and lemon juice. There’s something familiar about it on first sip, too, before the dry heat of the pepper kicks in. Ghost peppers are among the hottest in the world, and their flavor stands apart from jalapeños and serranos. One small drop is enough to add interest and flavor to a great poolside drink.

The Bent Handlebars is another delightful summer drink that incorporates watermelon squares in a tropical cooler. Herradura blanco, lemongrass syrup, yuzu, and falernum create a new experience for those of us who enjoy combining watermelon with alcohol. Then there’s Lushington’s Breakfast, a new twist on the Bloody Mary made with carrot juice instead of tomato. While it sounds like a backhanded commentary on D.C. brunchers’ drink of choice, this Tanquerray 10 cocktail’s pickled jam and celery salt solution makes for a fine hangover cure.

is an original creation of John J. Poister, author of the New American Bartender’s Guide. For this DIY cocktail, I’m substituting coconut gelato for vanilla ice cream. This is a great excuse to use that bottle of Galliano for something other than Harvey Wallbangers and Golden Cadillacs.

  • 1 oz. Galliano
  • 1 oz. light rum
  • 4 oz. orange juice
  • 1 scoop of coconut gelato

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a wine goblet.

Filed Under: classic cocktailist, Daikaya, DNV,