Chuhai is a bubbly drink made with shochu, a Japanese spirit distilled primarily from rice. And if it weren't in the name, you might never guess that rice is the unusual, sweetly toasty, surprisingly creamy force behind this super-refreshing cocktail.
Here, it's sweetened with a simple syrup steeped with toasted sweet rice and vanilla, giving it a cream soda-like flavor—and making it wonderfully addictive, even without the added spike of soju. Make a big batch of the syrup now and stash it in the fridge. Then the next time you're hankering for something bubbly and sweet (or looking for not-so-fruity summer cocktail), you need only to stir a bit together with soju, a splash of rice vinegar for brightness, and a long pour of seltzer water.
Ingredients
Toasted Rice Syrup
| 1 |
cup sweet rice (sometimes called glutinous or sticky rice)*
|
| 1 |
cup evaporated cane juice (or substitute granulated or turbinado sugar)
|
| 2 |
cups water
|
| 1 |
teaspoon vanilla extract
|
| 1 |
cup sweet rice (sometimes called glutinous or sticky rice)*
|
| 1 |
cup evaporated cane juice (or substitute granulated or turbinado sugar)
|
| 2 |
cups water
|
| 1 |
teaspoon vanilla extract
|
Toasted Rice Chuhai
| 1 1/2 |
ounces Jinro Soju
|
| 1 1/2 |
ounces toasted rice syrup
|
| 1/4 to 1/2 |
teaspoons rice vinegar (or substitute lemon juice)
|
|
Ice
|
|
Seltzer
|
| 1 1/2 |
ounces Jinro Soju
|
| 1 1/2 |
ounces toasted rice syrup
|
| 1/4 to 1/2 |
teaspoons rice vinegar (or substitute lemon juice)
|
How else do you use rice drinks? Let us know in the comments below!
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