Awamori Old Fashioned
Aged awamori stirred down with Okinawan black sugar and a dash of mikan orange bitters
Ingredients
- 1 dashCraft Bitters MikanA full dropper from the bottle, which the producer measures as a dashSubstitute: Any orange bitters
- 2 ozAged AwamoriKusu, awamori aged three years or moreSubstitute: A young awamori, for a lighter glass
- 1/4 ozKokuto SyrupOkinawan black sugar dissolved in an equal weight of waterSubstitute: Demerara syrup
Instructions
- Add 1/4 oz kokuto syrup and 1 dash Craft Bitters Mikan to a rocks glass
- Add 2 oz aged awamori and a large ice cube
- Stir in the glass until cold
- Express an orange peel over the surface and drop it in
Technique Notes
Make the kokuto syrup with equal parts sugar and water, and use less of it than a whisky build would take. The bitters already carry the same black sugar, and a full measure of syrup on top of it tips the drink from rich into sweet.
Why the Awamori Old Fashioned Works
Kokuto tastes darker and more mineral than white sugar, close to molasses, and the mikan bitters carry the same sugar along with their orange. With both in one glass the sweetness and the citrus read as a single Okinawan flavour, and cinchona dries the finish so it never turns syrupy.