Tokyo Drift

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Cocktail History

The Tokyo Drift is a modern cocktail that was created by Brad Farran in Raleigh, North Carolina. Named for the third installment in the Fast & Furious movie franchise, the recipe is another take on the classic Manhattan template that calls for Japanese whisky as the base spirit in place of rye and mixes it with sweet vermouth, cardamom liqueur, and herbal Strega liqueur.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Japanese Whisky: This is a type of whiskey made in Japan with grain, malted barley, corn, and water. I used Suntory Toki Blended Japanese Whisky.

Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth.

Cardamaro: This is an amaro made in Italy with botanicals, herbs, spices, and wine.

Liquore Strega: This is a liqueur made in Italy with saffron, juniper berries, herbs, spices, and alcohol.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

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.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Yellow orange color

• Aroma: Lemon oil and whisky spice

• Taste: Malty whisky complemented by the vermouth’s herbal qualities and a touch of the amaro’s bitterness

• Finish: Slight peated flavor

Kendall’s Take: “This was described to me as a Manhattan-style drink, and I think that’s a correct description. I also think that’s why I didn’t care for it all that much. This is one serious, boozy whisky cocktail, and I’m not big on those in general unless I’m in a specific mood. In taste alone, the Tokyo Drift is quite good, especially compared to the Manhattan. It has a lot more complexity, which I liked a lot.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.