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Cocktail History
The Far East Side is a modern cocktail that was created by bartender Kenta Goto at his establishment Bar Goto in New York City, New York. It’s a Japanese-inspired variation of the classic Southside that pairs a base of sake and tequila with floral elderflower liqueur, tart lemon, and herbal shiso leaves.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Sake: This is a spirit made in Japan with fermented rice, koji, yeast, and water. We used Kurosawa Nigori Junmai Sake because it has a full-bodied flavor with creamy umami and sweet fruit notes. For a mocktail version of this drink, try amazake in place of the sake.
Tequila Blanco: This is a spirit made in Mexico with unaged agave and water. We used El Jimador Tequila Silver because it has a light and palatable agave flavor with notes of grapefruit and apple. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Agave Blanco Spirit in place of the tequila.
Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflowers, citrus, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Edinburgh Gin Distillery Elderflower Gin Liqueur because it’s high quality and has a fresh, floral aroma and flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Elderflower Syrup in place of the elderflower liqueur.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Shiso Leaves: This is an aromatic herb. We used fresh shiso leaves.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
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Tasting Notes
The Far East Side is a light and airy drink that features sake and tequila aromas, the tastes of both, a hint of citrus, and herbal notes from the elderflower liqueur.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Overall, we both thought this cocktail was very tasty. It’s definitely what we’d consider a warm weather drink, so we’d save the Far East Side for a summer afternoon or maybe a garden party where we don’t want our guests in a drunken stupor by the early afternoon.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion by Drew Lazor.
Far East Side
The Far East Side is a modern cocktail that was created by bartender Kenta Goto at his establishment Bar Goto in New York City, New York. It’s a Japanese-inspired variation of the classic Southside that pairs a base of sake and tequila with floral elderflower liqueur, tart lemon, and herbal shiso leaves.
Ingredients
Method
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Add sake, tequila, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and three shiso leaves to a mixing glass.
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Muddle leaves gently.
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Strain into another mixing glass.
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Add cubed ice to second mixing glass.
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Stir for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a cocktail glass.
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Garnish with shiso leaf.
