Recipe: Yokohama Romance Cocktail

The Yokohama Romance is an interesting, simple drink. I got it from a bartender named Ben at Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle, when I asked for a tart drink in the tiki realm (he had previously served me a wonderful Fogcutter and a Vicious Virgin when I asked for tiki drinks). This isn't technically tiki, but I think it fits within the outer reaches of the tiki style, which encompassed bits of Oriental influence.

After making this, he turned it up in the Gentleman's Companion, Vol. II, from 1946. The authors were served these in what they said was an otherwise unremarkable nightclub in Yokohama, Japan called the "Romance", in the late 1930s. I've since seen variants, but it seems the following is the original; the authors stated that the drink sounded unimpressive, until the club's owner had a few sent over on the house, and their minds were quickly changed.

The recipe is simple stuff:
4oz. brandy (he used Korbel)
2oz. Cherry Heering (nothing else substitutes, of course)
1/4oz. Rose's sweetened lime juice (the only really good use of Rose';s I've seen)
Juice of 1/2 fresh squeezed lime (yes, both fresh and sweetened - it does make a difference)
Shake with ice, strain into tall glass, fill to overflowing with finely crushed ice.

The result is strong and very tart, not overly complex, but surprisingly good and very refreshing! Ben isn't the only tender there who'll make tiki stuff; Erik, another regular, served me an excellent Mai Tai when I asked for something tiki, and former tender Murray introduced me to Vic's grand Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

Great write up! Thanks. It makes me wish for better bars...or better bartenders near my home.

sounds good, sort of a danish sidecar.

Rose's is excellent (and called for) in a vodka gimlet as well.

also, i recently made a "lime daiquiri," calling for both fresh lime and a lime liqueur, was very tasty.

[ Edited by: thePorpoise 2011-07-26 08:57 ]