Thank you to the House of Suntory for partnering with Half Full and sponsoring this Bartenders At Home cocktail video.

What inspired you to create this cocktail? “The flavor of Suntory Toki™ pairs so well with refreshing drinks, including classic Highballs, Sours and Gimlets, as well as with coconut, pineapple and other tropical flavors. I was attempting to bring those two worlds together in something that would be easy to replicate at home.” 

When would you serve this drink? “I could see the White Sands Highball going down well as the first drink of the night, or as a brunch cocktail on a sunny afternoon if you’re lucky enough to have somewhere at home to sit outside.”

What music would you pair it with? “One of my favorite records to open a bar shift with is “Let’s Dance Raw” by Shintaro Sakamoto. He’s a Japanese artist with a really chill lounge vibe. I could see that pairing really well with the relaxed energy of this cocktail.”

What food would you pair it with? “I love refreshing cocktails with drinking food, fatty stuff like a burger or karaage if you want to keep the Japanese vibe. Maybe a tonkatsu sando.”

Name the person (dead or alive) you’d like to make this cocktail for. “Keeping with the answer to the musical question, Mr. Sakamoto if you’re reading this, I’d love to make you this cocktail sometime!”

By Matt Belanger

INGREDIENTS

• 2 part Suntory Whisky Toki™ (Order on Drizly)
• 1 part Coconut water
• .75 part Lime juice
• .75 part Simple syrup (one part water, one part sugar)
• .5 part Grapefruit juice
• 1 pinch Cinnamon powder
• Glass: Collins
• Garnish: Grapefruit twist

DIRECTIONS

Fill a Collins glass with several ice cubes and set aside. Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

You can find more Bartenders At Home cocktail tutorials here!

Interview has been condensed and edited.

Suntory Whisky Toki® Japanese Whisky, 43% Alc./Vol. ©2020 Beam Suntory Import Co., Chicago, IL. Drink Responsibly.