Cold Japanese sake and iced green tea are the base of this unusual green tea sake punch recipe. It's lightly sweetened and chilled, so it's ideal for hot summer evenings. For an added treat, pair it with sushi, yakitori or other Japanese foods.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 cups (about 9 servings)
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups properly brewed Kukicha Japanese green tea* (Kukicha is available online from Rishi and In Pursuit of Tea in loose form, and in bag form from Eden Foods.)
- 1-350 ml bottle of sake (If you're pouring sake from a larger bottle, 350 ml is about 1.5 cups. Ginjo-shu sake has an ideal flavor profile and consistency for this recipe.)
- 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, puréed cucumber
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1/4 cup muddled, finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup lemon-lime soda
- Sliced cucumber wheels (enough to garnish each glass)
- Ice (as needed)
Preparation:
- Combine all ingredients except for the lemon-lime soda, ice and sliced cucumber in a large punch bowl.
- Cover the bowl and chill the mixture for several hours.
- When the mixture is well chilled, you can strain the mint and cucumber if desired.
- Stir in the lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish glass rims with a sliced cucumber wheel.
- Add ice as needed and serve.
