Just what the heck is an umami cocktail—or umami in general, for that matter? We typically consider four basic flavors—sweet, salty, sour, and bitter—when we describe taste. But our taste receptors are also able to pick out a more nuanced flavor. The Japanese have a name for it, umami (oo-MA-mee). This “fifth flavor” has lately become a hot topic in the culinary world.
The common denominator in umami flavors is a high concentration of certain amino acids. They make things taste more intense, more rounded, more complete. They satisfy the soul. Soy sauce, miso, anchovies, shellfish, toasted nuts, vinegar, and sautéed mushrooms are umami flavor boosters.
When thinking about umami and cocktails, the perfect example is a Bloody Mary made with the juice of roasted tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Lighter, less expected hints of umami can make cocktails intensely satisfying, too. Sometimes it’s as simple as a pinch of salt, though an earthy background of truffle can also add that indescribably complex umami allure. So can this tomato juice.
1 pound roasted cherry tomatoes
1 or 2 roasted chiles (serrano, jalapeño, or Thai bird), to taste
4 cups / 1 quart plain tomato juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup / 2 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp / 1 fl oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Roast whole tomatoes and halved, seeded chilies in a 400°F oven until shriveled and just beginning to char, 30 to 40 minutes. This may be done up to 3 days in advance.
Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-duty blender and process until completely smooth. Working in batches, use the back of a spoon to push the mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher. Discard the solids as you work. This can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, for up to 10 days.
Makes about 6 cups
The Bloody Mary became an instant classic upon its arrival in the mid 1930s. Then it was little more than tomato juice and vodka—a bit milder than the quintessential brunch drink of today. The modern, spiced-up version has become massively popular. Everyone has their own set of rules, complete with secret ingredients and “must-have” garnishes. This is one of my favorite variations.
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz vodka (or try black pepper or celery-infused vodka, see page 19)
1/2 cup / 4 fl oz Savory Tomato Juice (see page 75)
1/2 barspoon grated fresh horseradish, or more to taste
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes red Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pinch black pepper, or more to taste
Garnishes of choice, such as celery sticks, cherry peppers, citrus wedges, pickled okra, olives
Combine the vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper in a mixing glass. Using a second mixing glass, gently pour the ingredients back and forth between glasses until thoroughly mixed. Pour the cocktail into any large, ice-filled glass and garnish to taste. Serve with a straw for stirring and sipping.
Makes 1
This drink has made seasonal appearances on the menu at Range in San Francisco’s Mission District for almost a decade. But don’t think of this cocktail as another variation on the Bloody Mary—its charms are far more understated.
4 Sungold cherry tomatoes, halved*
1 pinch coarse salt
1 shot / 45 ml / 1-1/2 fl oz dry gin
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz elderflower liqueur
1 tbsp / 1/2 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 whole Sungold cherry tomato, as garnish*
* Sweet cherry, grape, or yellow pear tomatoes can be substituted.
In a sturdy, thick-bottomed pint glass from a Boston shaker, use a bar muddler to crush the halved tomatoes with the salt until most of the juice is extracted and you have a fragrant, pulpy mush. Add the gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice; swirl to combine.
Fill the metal part of the Boston shaker ⅔ full of ice. Pour the muddled gin mixture (including pulp) over the ice cubes, then cap the shaker with the pint glass. Shake vigorously until well chilled.
Using a Hawthorn strainer, double-strain the cocktail through a wire-mesh sieve into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the whole tomato.
Makes 1
This cocktail seems fresh and light at first glance, but behind all those bubbles and bright botanicals there’s a dark earthiness. It comes from truffle-infused honey, available in most good cheese shops, at gourmet markets, and online.
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz dry gin
2 tbsp / 1 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp / 1/2 fl oz truffle honey syrup*
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, divided
1/4 to ⅜ cup / 2 to 3 fl oz club soda
* Combine black truffle honey and warm water in a 1:2 ratio.
Stir together the gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker, making sure the honey dissolves completely. Slap 1 rosemary sprig between both of your hands, or gently pinch it all over to release the oils, and add to the shaker. Fill the shaker ⅔ full with ice; cap and shake vigorously until the cocktail is well chilled. Using a Hawthorn strainer, double-strain through a wire-mesh sieve into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with club soda and stir gently. Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprig.
Makes 1
This isn’t a cocktail per se, but it’s so good it deserves a place of its own in this book. Sip it neat or on the rocks, or use it to replace the whiskey or brandy in an old-fashioned for a very savory take on that classic. This is a specialty of Canon: Whiskey and Bitters Emporium in Seattle.
1 (750 ml) bottle cognac
1 or 2 (1-1/2 inch) black truffles, sliced, to taste
Pour the cognac in to a large jar and add the black truffles. Cover and let infuse for about 1 week. Working in batches, strain the liquor through a coffee filter to remove any particulates.
Don’t confuse truffles with truffles. What I mean is that these cocktails aren’t deep, dark chocolate sippers. The truffle I‘m talking about is a type of subterranean mushroom—an elusive, warty black or white fungus found mostly in the regions of Périgord in France or Alba in Italy, respectively. Unattractive in appearance and named after the Latin for “lump,” truffles impart an exquisite, pungent flavor when shaved over pasta or used in an egg dish. They’re expensive and hard to find, so now you want them, right?
Silk and Gators is a smoothly elegant, deeply nuanced cognac cocktail—hence the “silk” in its title. But it’s the complex earthiness of the “gator” that got my attention in this Paul Sanguinetti cocktail from Ray’s and Stark Bar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Nutty, leathery, salty, bitter, toffee, and savory—all at the same time. I was first introduced to Paul’s cocktails at a press event, and I immediately noticed that several creations on his list featured some sort of wine element. It turns out that he has a sommelier background, making his cocktail menus some of the more surprising I’ve seen in a long time.
1/4 pony shot / 7-1/2 ml / 1/4 fl oz Calisaya amaro or other herbaceous amaro or liqueur, as rinse
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz cognac
1/2 shot / 22-1/2 ml / 3/4 fl oz sherry (Apostoles 30 Year Palo Cortado is preferred, if you can find it)
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz red vermouth
1 large, wide orange peel chip, as garnish
Pour the amaro or liqueur into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass and swirl the glass, rolling the liquid until the inside is well coated; pour out the excess. This is known as rinsing the glass. Set aside.
Add the cognac, sherry, and vermouth to a mixing glass half-filled with ice. Stir until chilled and properly diluted, about 20 seconds. Strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with the orange chip, expressing its oil onto the surface, rubbing it onto the glass rim, and dropping it in, peel side up.
Makes 1
No longer designated as solely a libation for stereotypical dowagers and spinsters, sherry is gaining well-deserved recognition as a complex, interesting, and food-friendly alternative to traditional wines and cocktails. Sherry gets its name from an anglicization of the word Jerez (Xerex), which refers to the area of southern Spain where sherry is produced. Made using a network of barrels known as soleras, old and new wines are fractionally blended to ensure consistency.
Sherry comes in many styles, ranging from dry and pale to quite dark and unctuously sweet. The driest and palest type—called Fino—is light and crisp with a subtle brininess; it pairs extremely well with almonds, cheese, fried foods, olives, and seafood. Oloroso style is darker, fuller, and sometimes moderately sweet, and it can be paired with pungent cheeses, fatty meats, and nuts. Palo Cortado sherries possess both Fino and Oloroso characteristics, with complexities reminiscent of a fine cognac.
The Dog’s Nose is mentioned in Charles Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers. A character named Walker blames the drink for the crippling of his hand—not exactly a ringing endorsement. But I doubt that either Mr. Walker or Mr. Dickens imagined the umami boost that comes from a pinch of porcini powder.
2 shots / 90 ml / 3 fl oz dry gin
1 cup / 8 fl oz traditional-style porter, at room temperature*
1 tiny pinch porcini mushroom powder (directions below) or crystalline MSG powder
Freshly grated nutmeg, as garnish
* If you can’t find porter, choose an Irish stout such as Guinness.
Make the porcini mushroom powder: Place 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 ounce) in a food processor. Pulse 10 or 12 times to break up the pieces, then process for at least 3 minutes until very finely ground. Store indefinitely in a dry place, covered. Makes about 1/4 cup powder.
Make the cocktail: Pour the gin into a 10 to 14-ounce glass. Add the porter and allow the head to develop somewhat, then sprinkle on the mushroom powder. Garnish with nutmeg.
Makes 1
The boldness of this drink comes from beef. To keep it from tasting like watery broth, I take the time to prepare a simple bouillon with a healthy dose of celery and black pepper. Avoid using the cubes from the grocery store—the result will be too salty.
4 cups / 1 quart high-quality low-sodium beef broth or homemade bouillon
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz vodka (or try black peppercorn or celery-infused vodka, see page 19)
1/2 pony shot / 15 ml / 1/2 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 or 3 dashes celery bitters
1 or 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 or 2 dashes red Tabasco sauce
1 lemon wedge, as garnish
To a cocktail shaker half-filled with medium ice cubes, add 1/2 cup chilled bouillon, vodka, lemon juice, bitters, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Cover and shake vigorously, then strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the drink and then drop it in.
Makes 1
Long on umami, oyster shooters are a protein-packed favorite of the morning-after crowd. These briny beauties can be as simple as a few dashes of hot sauce splashed on the half shell and chased with cheap beer, good and cold. But there are other, more sophisticated approaches as well. My version retains all the expected flavors, allowing for the full umami effect. But in this case the booze isn’t a vehicle to get that briny bivalve up and over the gag reflex. It’s a boldly infused black pepper vodka that adds another layer of flavor. So quaff away. For you oyster neophytes, no chewing is necessary.
1-1/2 cups Savory Tomato juice (see page 75)
24 fresh oysters
3 cups / 750 ml black pepper–infused vodka (see page 19)
Fresh horseradish root, peeled, to taste
Lemon wedges, to taste
Working one shooter at a time, spoon 1 tablespoon tomato juice into the bottom of a standard-size “double” shot glass (about 3-ounce size). Shuck an oyster and add it to the shot glass with all its liquor. Add 2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) infused vodka by pouring it gently over the back of a spoon to “float” it on top of the tomato juice. Finish with a grating of horseradish. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Makes 24
Tip
Alternatively, you can serve this cocktail with black peppercorn–infused silver tequila (see page 19) and replace the horseradish with a thin slice of jalapeño.
Pork and Beans say umami to me, especially when they’re made with bacon. Jeremy Schwartz and Taylor Brittenham (“Ms.” and “His” to their patrons at pop-up bars around Los Angeles) are behind this creative cocktail. They’re also the duo behind Bitter Tears Cocktail Bitters.
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz bourbon
1/2 shot / 22-1/2 ml / 3/4 fl oz coffee liqueur
3 or 4 dashes Bitter Tears “Ms. Piggy” Peppercorn Bacon Bitters (available online)
Combine the bourbon, coffee liqueur, and bitters in a mixing glass half-filled with ice. Gently stir until chilled and properly diluted, about 20 seconds. Julep-strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
Makes 1
The Pickleback. No one seems to want to claim this drink as their own, though its genesis appears to be in Brooklyn, New York. For a drink that nobody likes, it’s awfully popular. Such a simple combination: 1 shot Jameson whiskey and 1 shot pickle brine–served in two glasses. You could just open a jar of Vlassics—I’m sure that’s how it’s usually done—but I prefer to tackle this cocktail with more culinary acumen.
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz whiskey (preferably Jameson)
2 pony shots / 60 ml / 2 fl oz Spicy Dill Pickle Brine (recipe follows)
Pickles, as garnish
Fresh dill sprigs, as garnish
Pour the whiskey and brine into separate “double” shot glasses (about 3-ounce size). Garnish as you like—I suggest you go overboard.
Makes 1
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups water
2 tbsp sea salt
3 bunches fresh dill, roughly chopped
6 small cloves peeled garlic
1 red Thai bird chile, thinly sliced
2 heaping tsp dill seeds
2 tsp prepared pickling spice
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 pounds very small Kirby cucumbers, about 3 inches long
Sterilize 6 pint-size jars and lids according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a nonreactive medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer.
Remove the hot jars from the sterilizing pot. Divide the dill, garlic, chile slices, dill seeds, pickling spice, and mustard seeds among the jars. Divide the cucumbers into 6 groups then tightly pack them into the jars. Pour the hot vinegar-water mixture over the cucumbers to within 1/2 inch of the rim. Secure the jars with the sterilized lids and bands. Place the jars back in the sterilizer or pot of water and process by boiling for 15 minutes. Remove carefully with tongs. Let cool, then store in a dry place for at least 3 weeks before opening.
Makes 6 pint-sized jars