Lemon Sour Cocktail Recipe

Lemon Sawa (Sour) is a must-have cocktail in Japanese bars, izakayas and restaurants: fresh, fruity and refreshing. It can be made with lemon, lime, plum, grapefruit, sudachi (small Japanese green citrus fruits)... it's sure to please! Lemon Sawa showcases shōchū, a brandy (between 25% and 40%) fairly unknown outside Japanese borders, and which is distilled from sweet potato, barley or rice. 

Prep Time
11 minutes
Cooking Time
0 minutes
Servings
2 glasses
Category
beverages
Kitchen
Japanese cocktail

Ingredients

  • 4cl shōchū
  • 1.5 cl lemon juice
  • 1.5 cl sugar syrup
  • 10 cl sparkling water
  • Ice cubes, of course!

Directions

  1. Pour the lemon juice and shochu into a tall glass. Add plenty of ice cubes and stir to chill.
  2. Add the sparkling water. Then add the sugar syrup, adjusting according to your taste: start with a small amount, taste, then adjust until you reach the desired level of sweetness. If you prefer a sugar-free version, you can dispense with the syrup altogether.
  3. Stir gently with a cocktail stick, chopstick or straw to prevent the drink from losing too much gas. Garnish with a slice of lemon or rolled zest for an elegant touch. Serve immediately and enjoy your chilled Japanese lemon sour!