Making Katana Kitten's Signature Shiso Gin & Tonic
Learn how to make Katana Kitten's best-selling twist on the Gin & Tonic.
The ‘Recipe Book’ section on The Tipsy Traveler is a place where you can find a variety of curated recipes for drinking (and some eating, too). Within these newsletters you’ll find cocktail recipes for creating more complex drink ingredients such as ferments, pickles and cordials; low-waste techniques to use in both the bar and the kitchen; food and drink recipes from places I’ve traveled to, and more. The ‘Recipe Book’ is meant to inspire culinary creativity, with a little help from a world of friends in the know.
I’ll never forget my first Shiso Gin & Tonic at Katana Kitten. It was the Summer of 2018 and I was at the bar’s press preview as they ramped up for opening in the coming weeks (or days, it’s been a while). I vividly recall wearing a short sleeve navy shirt with small white dots that I bought from J. Crew in Tribeca — a top that was probably paired with my typical khaki shorts from Club Monaco that I’d sport on the reg. (It was a bold choice considering that my ass sweats like no other; but ‘tis life, as I’m sure I’m not alone in that unfortunate bodily occurrence.)
Regardless, it was hot as hell and I was very much looking forward to crushing a few, ice-cold cocktails in an air-conditioned space. I make my way into the split-level bar, head up the short set of stairs to where all the cocktail-related action was happening, plop myself at the end of the bar and say hello to Masa Urushido, the owner of Katana Kitten. We chat about the menu, the excitement of him finally having his own place to express his unique approach to hospitality that merges his Japanese roots with what he’s learned from his time tending bar in New York, and swiftly after our cordial conversation he takes my drink order: a Shiso Gin & Tonic.
By this point my mate Justin (pictured above) has joined me; and in the essence of time, he also fires his order: another Shiso Gin & Tonic. I don’t remember if this highball was on tap at the time—I believe it is now—but nevertheless, the cocktails are promptly built in frosty handled mugs (to keep your warm hands from adulterating the serve by raising its temperature) and garnished with a shiso leaf harvested from Masa’s own Brooklyn garden.
That first sip was utter perfection. Now, looking back at that moment, I realize how impactful that drinking experience was — it shaped my perception on what the best highball should taste like. I’d had finely crafted highballs before, but I’d never had one that was legitimately perfect until Katana Kitten. The marriage of flawlessly chilled gin, shiso-quinine cordial, lime juice and soda water was as simple as a cocktail gets, yet it put the technique on a pedestal. Highballs are all about the details, and Masa’s team didn’t miss a beat. From the ice-cold sensation of the mug touching your lips, to the refreshing mixed drink that flowed from it, from start to finish the entire drinking experience was sensational.
If you’ve never had a highball from Katana Kitten, it truly is life-changing if you’re a cocktail connoisseur like myself; and I can’t recommend it enough.
But in the interim, should you find yourself as thirsty as I was on the hot summer’s day, here is the recipe to Masa’s signature Shiso Gin & Tonic. (For more of Katana Kitten’s highball recipes and drink-making philosophy, check out his book The Japanese Art of the Cocktail written in collaboration with Michael Anstendig — link to purchase below.)
Shiso Gin & Tonic | Katana Kitten, NYC
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) Fords gin
3/4 oz. (~25 ml) shiso-quinine cordial*
1/3 oz. (~10 ml) lime juice
Soda water, chilled
Method:
Place an ice spear or a stack of ice cubes in a frozen highball glass or stein. Add the gin, cordial and lime juice to the glass, top with chilled soda water and gently stir. Garnish with a shiso leaf (in season from Jun - Oct)
*Shiso-quinine cordial
Zest of 3 limes, using a peeler
1 1/2 cups sugar
20 fresh shiso leaves
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 oz. organic quinine concentrate
1/4 tsp. malic acid powder
Method:
In a bowl, muddle the lime zest with sugar, then let sit for 30 minutes to extract the oils. Add the shiso leaves and muddle, then let rest for another 30 minutes. Then add the water, quinine and malic acid before stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Strain through a cheesecloth and bottle. (Good for up to one month.)
Your sweaty ass serves you well, and all of us too !