CUCUMBER SAKETINI

Izakaya is hip. It’s jam-packed at night, almost like you’re actually in New York. Open kitchen, high heels, Japanese bites, candlelight, beautiful glasswork, and good service.

Shaking a perfect cocktail is an art. Being a skillful bartender a trade. And if you’ve got that combination, I’m hanging around at your bar every weekend. He’s got to be really kind, has to be able to come with suggestions, sense when you feel like having a bit of water, or whether you’d like a snack. Perhaps a napkin when you think: I’d like to wipe my hands on something, and hold up a lighter in front of your cigarette before you’ve managed to get it out of your own pocket. It’s okay to make some small talk, but nothing too in-your-face, and he should never give the impression that he’s listening in on your conversations. So he shouldn’t add something to your conversation. Not okay. I expect this Izakaya barman to exactly know how it works.

Wat heb je nodig en hoe bereid je het:

• 40 ml gin
• 20 ml Sake
• 10 ml sugar water (very easy to make yourself. 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water. Put the water in a saucepan, though make sure it doesn’t boil. Add sugar and keep stirring until it’s dissolved. Afterwards, remove the pan from the fire and you’re done.)
• 1.5 centimeter cucumber (without skin)

Add some ice to a glass to cool it. Add the cucumber to the shaker and crush it. Add the rest of the ingredients and showcase your shake skills. Use a sieve through which to pour the drink in the glass. Otherwise, you’ll get too much pulp, which isn’t good.

When I took my first sip of this cocktail, I was convinced. Izakaya is the bomb, the bartender’s amazing, and the cocktails delicious.