WESTERN CHEFS have long looked to the East for inspiration. The cuisines of China, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan are all popular in the United States, and Asian ingredients are often coupled with European techniques and flavors, spawning "sub-cuisines" that are a fusion of flavors and cultures. Now that same sensibility is also being applied to the cocktail. Sure, some Asian flavors, like ginger, have been floating around on the liquor scene for awhile, and sake exploded a few years ago as the mixer de rigueur, but a new wave of creations from Boston bars are pushing Asian influences to the next level. Lychee, lemongrass, and even wasabi are big hits behind the bar; why not give 'em a shot?
For those who haven't eaten a lychee, the fruit is a sphere of sweet white flesh. Indigenous to southern China and the countries of Southeast Asia, the lychee is widely used in desserts but is sometimes used to add balance to savory dishes, like stir fries. At Pho Republique (1415 Washington Street, Boston, 617.262.0005) the Lychee Martini ($10) is a shimmery, pearl-colored affair, garnished with a beautiful whole lychee. The aromatic cocktail is a blend of Skyy vodka, lychee juice, and Lichido, a unique French liqueur made from cognac, vodka, lychee, guava, and white peach. This martini is the ultimate fusion experience, and it's incredible to drink - like a mouthful of springtime in Asia, if such a thing could be tasted.
Drawing on its Vietnamese influences, Pho Republique also makes the Vietnamese Coffee Martini ($8), which, like authentic Vietnamese coffee, is rich, creamy, and sweet. Made from vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, and coffee, the cocktail is sensually heavy on the tongue, the coffee flavor soaring above all other tastes and lingering long after you swallow. One sip of this and you'll be transported to Saigon, especially given the décor here, with its aura of Asian grandeur: distressed walls in a palette of antique browns; sexy red lighting; and lanterns, lanterns everywhere.
Shifting gears from sweet to spicy, the Dirty Wasabi-tini ($10) at Privus Lounge (165 Brighton Avenue, Allston, 617.787.7483) is a cocktail of sheer genius. A Ciroc-and-olive-juice standard gets a swift kick in the teeth from its garnish: giant olives are stuffed with wasabi (a sushi lover's best friend), tempura-battered and fried, and plopped into the drink. Let them linger awhile, and that wonderfully tingly wasabi will infuse itself into the liquid around it.
Love that dirty water, but not the dirty martini? Try Privus's Dice K-sake ($9), a mellow mix of sake and pomegranate juice. Sake is commonly (and erroneously) referred to as "rice wine," but it's technically a spirit. Sake is created by fermenting and processing rice several times (though it can be made from sweet potato or sugar cane, too) and is sometimes augmented with additional distilled alcohol. The bartenders at Privus mix up several varieties of sake cocktail; the Dice K-sake is among the most popular. (Wonder why?) With a bright sake taste and a smooth finish, this cocktail is perfect for enjoying alongside dinner or later in the evening.
Green tea and ginger are both touted for their medicinal properties, and since you've always liked the excuse that alcohol kills germs, the Ginger Green Tea Martini ($13.50) at Rowes Wharf Bar (Boston Harbor Hotel, 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, 617.439.7000) is the perfect way to ditch the lingering cold-weather sniffles and bound into spring. Made from freshly brewed green tea, house-infused ginger syrup, and Grey Goose Citron vodka, the drink is garnished with a sprig of mint and is lightly sweet and lovely.
Another chi-chi hotel boasts yet another Asian cocktail. The Ritz-Carlton (10 Avery Street, Boston, 617.574.7100) serves a Lychee Lemongrass Martini ($15) made with Bombay Sapphire gin, puréed lychees, fresh lime, and lemongrass syrup. Lemongrass, an herb that's widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, adds a grassy quality to many soups and curries. In this cocktail, it cohabitates quite nicely with the juniper characteristics lent by the gin, creating a new layer of earthy flavor.
Some Asian ingredients, like ginger and lychee, will likely remain mainstays on the cocktail scene. Others, like wasabi and lemongrass, may prove to be fleeting notions and fanciful trends. But if you're a fan of Asian cuisine, you're sure to be a fan of Asian cocktails, especially those that incorporate familiar flavors that you may recognize from your favorite Asian entrées. And what could go better with delicate slices of sashimi than a wasabi cocktail? My point exactly. @
