Far East Side

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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.

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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. I used Kurosawa Nigori Junmai Sake.

Tequila Blanco: This is a spirit made in Mexico with unaged agave and water. I used El Jimador Tequila Silver.

Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflowers, citrus, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Edinburgh Gin Distillery Elderflower Gin Liqueur.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Shiso Leaves: This is an aromatic herb. I used fresh shiso leaves.

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Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I 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. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale green color

• Aroma: Sake and tequila

• Taste: Tangy citrus flavor laced with distinct sake, agave, and herbs

• Finish: Slightly floral elderflower

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "I haven't had sake in many cocktails and wasn't sure how it would pair with tequila. I ended up really liking the combo a fair bit. The Far East Side is definitely what I’d consider to be a warm weather drink, so I’d make another on a summer afternoon or maybe at a garden party where you don’t want your guests in a drunken stupor by the early afternoon."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion by Drew Lazor.