This Blog Is Retroactive

So, back in May of last year my then fiancé who’s now my wife went to Japan to attend a conference.  Well aware of my passion for good beer, she took her Japanese friend and co-worker along with her to a store in Tokyo to pick out some local brews for me.  What a sweetie!  I was like a kid on Christmas morning when she gave them to me.  It was especially difficult not crack them open right there and drink all six in one sitting.  However, I didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance to try these beers again so I waited for a good time to sit down and really enjoy them, one or two at a time.  I also made sure to take notes, as alcohol tends to fog the memory in case you didn’t know.  One funny thing was, they all came in cans.  Only a handful of breweries worth mentioning put their beers in cans over here in the U.S.  I guess it’s a lot more common in Japan.  I kept the cans, and the notes, and they’ve both been collecting dust ever since I finished them.  I thought it’d be fun to actually do something with them and decided to share them with you here.

DISCLAIMER:  If you don’t like beer, then this post will probably be really, really boring, so you might as well skip it.  Sorry.

Unazuki Red Label

There are three types of Unazuki Beer.  I don’t know what the Japanese call this one, but I’ll call it Unazuki Red because it has a red label and because it pours a coppery red-orange color.  It smells slightly fruity and malty.  It has a thick, cream colored head.  My second whiff was a bit metallic, but only slightly.  It might just be from the can.  Unazuki Red kind of reminds me of Rogue Dead Guy Ale but not as sweet.  It has a smooth, slightly funky after taste.  It’s not as hoppy as  Dead Guy either.  After the beer warms up a bit I can definitely taste some subtle fruity notes.

Unazuki Beer has a website, but it’s all in Japanese.

Yona Yona Ale

I would have to say Yona Yona Ale was probably my favorite of the six I tried.  It pours a deep, golden color, similar to Boddingtons.  It has a light, fizzy head and smells kind of fruity.  First sip…spicey and complex.  The fruity flavors are as evident in the taste as they are in the smell.  Is it perhaps a little bit yeasty?  This beer sort of reminds me of Boulder Beer’s Hazed and Infused.  It’s hoppy, but not overpoweringly so.  It’s very good.  Yona Yona was sweet, fruity, slightly yeasty, and hoppy.  Like I said, it’s complex.

Lots more on Yona Yona Ale here.

Unazuki Blue Label

Once again, I’m not sure what the Japanese call this one, but I’ll call it Unazuki Blue Label.  It pours a pale yellow, like most pilsners.  It has a thick, foamy head.  It smells and tastes like a pilsner.  I think it just might be a pilsner.  It’s slightly hazy, and mildy funky.  Overall, good for this style, but nothing exceptional.

Nippon Premium

Nippon Premium pours clear and golden, with a thick, foamy head.  The smell reminds me a little of Olde English (yes, the malt liquor – I’ve had my share) or maybe a Cream Ale, like Genesee.  I can taste some mild fruitiness, and perhaps a slight funk.  This beer left me kind of burpy, more than the others.  Is there a technical term for that?  It was also kind of sickly sweet and mildly cloying, but still tasty.

Unazuki Purple Label

Unazuki Purple Label was the third of three Unazuki beers that I had the pleasure of enjoying.  I think its a porter, or perhaps a strong stout or dark bock.  I’m not sure really, but it pours very dark brown, similar to Coca-Cola.  The head is light brown, thick and foamy.  It smells malty and tastes of chocolate and roasted malt.  I’d have to say it tastes similar to a porter, but not as heavy tasting, not as sticky.  Unazuki Purple was my scond favorite after Yona Yona.

Yebisu Black

Yebisu comes in two varieties, both labeled Yebisu Premium.  To differentiate, this one is referred to as Yebisu Black, for obvious reasons.  It pours a dark, reddish brown with a dense, foamy head.  The head is a lighter brown than Unazuki Purple Label.  It smells roasty and malty.  Yebisu Black has a slightly metallic bite.  It’s good, but not as sweet or as flavorful as Unazuki Purple.

Overall, I was pleasantly suprised with all the beers I tried and delighted to discover the rich and varied selection of quality beers that Japan has to offer.  All we ever get over here are their light flavored pilsners, which don’t really differ much from the myriad of mass produced pale lagers already lining our shelves.  I’m going to start saving now for a trip to Tokyo so I can drink some more Yona Yona and Unazuki Beer.

Great article on beer in Japan here.

Being an avid DIY advocate, as far as my drinking is concerned at least, I’ve always enjoyed mixing drinks at home. I love a good, stiff mixed drink but I loathe paying $9 or more a piece for them, which has lead to my pleasurable dabbles into amateur mixology. I would venture to say I’ve mastered a small number of delectable cocktails, through much trial and error and trial and trial, and I’d like very much to share them with you here.

FYI, simple syrup is used in a few of these recipes.  Simple syrup is roughly two parts sugar dissolved into one part water.  I’ve found that those proportions aren’t quite syrup-ee enough for my tastes, so I usually add more sugar until the consistency seems right.  Just heat it all together on the stove, on low, stirring constantly until all sugar is dissolved.  Make about 32 ounces of this beforehand and keep some in the fridge.

Margarita

Let’s start with the basics. Believe it or not I just tried making this one from scratch about two weeks ago and I dare say I got it just right on the first freakin try!  I can’t stand margarita mix so don’t bother picking that up at the store. All you’ll need for this is lemon, limes, tequila, Grand Marnier (or adequate substitute), and sugar. I say lemon and limes, because I used fresh squeezed juice, but you can just buy the juice if you like. It’s probably just as good and a lot easier. I don’t have a good frozen recipe. I prefer my margaritas on the rocks, but I suppose you could just take all these ingredients and throw them in the blender if you like.

8 ounces of lime juice
1 ounce of lemon juice
8 TABLEspoons of simple syrup
3 ounces (2 shots) of tequila
3 ounces (2 shots) of Grand Marnier

Put all the ingredients in a martini shaker with some ice and shake vigorously.  Serve over ice.  This recipe makes 3-4 margaritas, depending on how big you like them.

Belmontini

My first introduction to this drink was at a great little boutique hotel here in Dallas called the Belmont.  It’s just South of Downtown and the back patio has one of the best views of the Dallas skyline you’ll find anywhere in town.  I was a little hesitant to order this drink at first.  One, because it was $12 and two because I thought it might be too girly.  The waitress assured us that it was extremely macho, very strong, and that cigar-smoking big-money drinkers ordered them all the time.  I was sold.  You might think this is just a pomegranate martini but I think the Belmontini is in a class of it’s own and shouldn’t be lumped in with all those other sissy martninis.  Did I mention it was strong.  I think I also mentioned it was $12 which was plenty enough motivation to learn to make my own.

3 ounces (2 shots) of Citrus Vokda
2 ounces of Grand Marnier
8 ounces of pure pomegranate juice (NOT POMEGRANATE JUICE COCKTAIL)
A splash of champagne

Add pomegranate juice, citrus vodka and Grand Marnier to martini shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously.  Pour into a frosted martini glass.   Leave a little room at the top for the champagne, which you add at the end.  Just add a couple ounces for a little bit of fizziness, or more if you like.

976-Piña Colada

My wife and I drank our own weight in these on our honeymoon in Vieques, Puerto Rico this past summer, but I didn’t get the proportions quite right until we got back.  There’s nothing extraordinary about this recipe, really.  It uses the same three ingredients as any basic piña colada.  I just like to call it the 976-Piña Colada to help me remember the proportions, which is the most important part.  I say the recipe isn’t extraordinary but don’t think this won’t be one of the best piña coladas you’ve ever had, because it will be.

9 ounces of pineapple juice
7 ounces of dark rum
6 ounces of Cream of Coconut
ICE (about 26 ounces)

Pour the first three ingredients into a blender.  Fill the rest of the blender with ice.  Blend on high until completely smooth.  Make sure there are no small chunks of ice.  They get stuck in your straw.  Oh, one more thing.  You’ll achieve the best consistency if all your ingredients are already ice cold.  Serves four.

Mojito

“Mo-HEEE-toe.  I don’t think it’s a gay drink.”

Indeed.  Mojitos are a lot of work, but they are delicious.  You know you’re not going to want just one, so it’s best to make a whole pitcher of them at a time of you can.  I would advise, however, getting the hang of making a single one properly before moving on to mass production.  Getting the amounts just right can be tricky.

1 small lime, cut into 1/4″ pieces
9-12 medium sized mint leaves
3 TABLEspoons of simple syrup
1.5 ounces of light rum
club soda

Add the pieces of lime, the mint leaves, and the simple syrup to a tall thin glass.  Use a long, thin apparatus with a thick, blunt end to “muddle” or mush the lime and mint and sugar together.  They actually make a special tool called a muddler just for this.  I use the handle of a big wooden spoon.  You need to squeeze out the lime juice and release the flavorful oils from the mint leaves.  Pour in the light rum, fill the glass with ice, then finish it off with the club soda.  Stir the drink carefully but thoroughly so that the limes and mint leaves are dispersed evenly throughout the glass.  Enjoy!

Blood Orange Margarita

We had these at a place here in Dallas called Tillman’s Roadhouse.  They tasted like sunshine.  Funny thing, their mixologist’s name is Lucy Brennan.  Check out the quote in the middle of her page.  You’d think I wrote it myself.

I’m still tweaking these as I’ve only made them a couple times, so this recipe might change just a little.  If you’re wondering where you can find blood orange juice, Central Market sells it in the carton.  We made the mistake of trying to use fresh squeezed blood orange juice but our juicer doesn’t have the fruit attachment and we just made a big pulpy mess.  Buy the juice.

9 ounces of blood orange juice
3 ounces of lime juice
5 ounces of tequila
3 ounces of Grand Marnier
8 TABLEspoons of simple syrup

The instructions are the same as the regular margarita, but with this amount of liquid, you’re really pushing the limits of what a standard martini shaker can hold.  I suggest putting them in your blender on low just to mix them all together thoroughly.  Pour over ice.

This one may need more tequila.  I’m not sure.  I’ll have to do some “research” this weekend.  Keep an eye out for Bloody Mary and Mint Julep recipes in the future.  I’ve never made them before but I’m down to try.

Cheers!