For weeks we’ve been hunting down the perfect spring-to-summer transition cocktail, and we’re thrilled to report: We have officially found it. Meet the “Shiso Gimlet,” a light, gin-based drink that’s equal parts tart, sweet and, most of all, extraordinarily refreshing. The cocktail masterminds at New York’s Hakkasan call it their signature drink, and we totally understand why. “We really wanted to bring a twist on a gimlet and Salvatore Calabrese’s original Breakfast Martini to Hakkasan New York with this cocktail,” says Camille Austin, the restaurant’s bar manager. “That’s where the Curacao and yuzu marmalade came into play. We used Asian ingredients that we could easily source from our suppliers and took that original idea to build the entire cocktail around the gin.”
Here’s how to make one for yourself:
Shiso Gimlet
1.5 oz. NOLET’S Silver Dry Gin
3 shiso leaves
.75 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
1 oz. lime juice
.5 oz. lychee juice (Rubicon brand)
1 bar spoon yuzu marmalade
Shake all ingredients, strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a shiso leaf.
