Hojicha Whisky Highball

Before you start

Hojicha is Japanese green tea that has been roasted until the leaves turn reddish brown. The roasting replaces grassy notes with flavors of toast, caramel and nuts, and it lowers the bitterness. This original highball infuses whisky with hojicha for about half an hour, then lengthens it with very cold soda. The result smells like roasted tea and tastes like a light, toasty whisky soda.

Timing matters because whisky extracts tea fast. Taste the infusion every 10 minutes and strain it as soon as the roast flavor is clear; leaving it longer brings in tannins that make the drink dry and bitter. A light whisky lets the tea come through; heavy sherried or peated bottles hide it.

Ingredients

• Hojicha whisky200 ml (6¾ oz) light Japanese or blended whisky
• 5 g (about 2 tbsp) loose hojicha tea leaves
• Highball45 ml (1½ oz) hojicha-infused whisky
• 120 ml (4 oz) soda water — very cold
• 5 ml (1 tsp) honey syrup (1:1) — optional
• 4 to 5 large ice cubes

Method

1. Put the hojicha leaves in a clean jar and pour in the whisky. Seal, swirl and leave at room temperature.
2. Taste after 20 minutes and then every 10 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer lined with a coffee filter when the roasted tea flavor is distinct but the finish is still smooth, usually 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Chill a highball glass, fill it with large ice and stir the ice briefly to cool the glass. Pour off any water.
4. Add 45 ml of the infused whisky and the honey syrup, if using. Stir several times to chill.
5. Pour the cold soda gently down the inside of the glass. Lift the spoon once from the bottom to combine, and serve immediately.

Tips for success

• Buy loose-leaf hojicha rather than powder. The powder over-extracts and clouds the whisky.
• A strip of orange peel suits hojicha's roasted notes better than lemon if you want a garnish.
• Label the bottle with the date you infused it, as the tea aroma fades over a few months.

Substitutions

Hojicha

Genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) gives a nuttier, popcorn-like whisky. Roasted barley tea makes a caffeine-free infusion.

Whisky

A light rum or lightly aged brandy also carries the tea well.

Honey syrup

Leave it out for a dry highball, or use 5 ml of 1:1 simple syrup for neutral sweetness.

Troubleshooting

The whisky tastes bitter and astringent

It infused too long. Strain sooner next time, or soften the batch by blending it with plain whisky.

The tea flavor disappears with soda

Use a 1:2.5 ratio of whisky to soda, or infuse a few minutes longer.

Leaf bits in the bottle

Filter again through a coffee filter. Small fragments keep extracting and turn the whisky bitter.

Storage

Keep the strained hojicha whisky sealed in a cool, dark place and use it within about 3 months, while the roast aroma is strongest. Build each highball to order; it cannot be made ahead.

Safety notes

Contains about 45 ml of 40% ABV whisky, about 1 U.S. standard drink (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol), and a small amount of caffeine from the tea. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age, and do not drink and drive.