Shiso Delicious

About the Shiso Delicious

Shiso Delicious is a bright, herbaceous cocktail built on Timber Creek Florida Gin, shaken with fresh shiso leaves, a slice of red bell pepper, citrus juice, and Martinique sugar cane syrup. Fine-strained into a coupe, it is a clean, vegetal drink that leans on gin’s botanical character to tie everything together. Shiso, an herb with notes somewhere between mint, basil, and anise, needs a spirit that can support rather than compete with its distinct flavor, and gin is the natural choice. Timber Creek Florida Gin, distilled from a grain base that is aged and blended by component under the distillery’s PureBlend process, carries a clean juniper backbone with enough body to hold its own against shiso and red bell pepper without turning the drink herbaceous to the point of tasting like a salad.

To build it, muddle the shiso leaves and red bell pepper slice gently in the bottom of a shaker to release their oils, then add the gin, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and sugar cane syrup along with ice and shake hard. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe to remove any plant matter, leaving a smooth, clean-looking drink despite its muddled ingredients and green, herbaceous character. This cocktail’s bright, slightly savory profile makes it a strong match for sushi rolls, shrimp tempura, cucumber salad, grilled chicken, or miso soup, food that shares its clean, herbaceous character. It is a good fit for a warm-weather dinner or a meal built around Japanese or Asian-inspired flavors, where the shiso ties the drink and food together naturally.

Shiso has long been used in Japanese cooking and cocktails for its distinctive herbal profile. As with any gin-forward shaken cocktail, drink it at a comfortable pace and make sure a safe ride home is arranged before the evening starts.

Shiso Delicious is a bright, herbaceous cocktail built on Timber Creek Florida Gin, shaken with fresh shiso leaves, a slice of red bell pepper, citrus juice, and Martinique sugar cane syrup. Fine-strained into a coupe, it is a clean, vegetal drink that leans on gin’s botanical character to tie everything together. Shiso, an herb with notes somewhere between mint, basil, and anise, needs a spirit that can support rather than compete with its distinct flavor, and gin is the natural choice. Timber Creek Florida Gin, distilled from a grain base that is aged and blended by component under the distillery’s PureBlend process, carries a clean juniper backbone with enough body to hold its own against shiso and red bell pepper without turning the drink herbaceous to the point of tasting like a salad.

To build it, muddle the shiso leaves and red bell pepper slice gently in the bottom of a shaker to release their oils, then add the gin, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and sugar cane syrup along with ice and shake hard. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe to remove any plant matter, leaving a smooth, clean-looking drink despite its muddled ingredients and green, herbaceous character. This cocktail’s bright, slightly savory profile makes it a strong match for sushi rolls, shrimp tempura, cucumber salad, grilled chicken, or miso soup, food that shares its clean, herbaceous character. It is a good fit for a warm-weather dinner or a meal built around Japanese or Asian-inspired flavors, where the shiso ties the drink and food together naturally.

Shiso has long been used in Japanese cooking and cocktails for its distinctive herbal profile. As with any gin-forward shaken cocktail, drink it at a comfortable pace and make sure a safe ride home is arranged before the evening starts.