cocktail


May 11, 2017

Celebrating Women Producers: Jennifer Colliau of Small Hand Foods

by Kayoko Akabori

Jennifer Colliau is one of Bay Area’s greatest bartenders. To use words such as “smart,” “talented,” or “creative” seem to undermine her qualities. Rather, she is a force in the industry — ambitious, yet down to earth; knowledgable, yet curious; confident, yet humble. Her mind is a sponge; she lights up when talking about cocktail history […]

March 13, 2017

Happy Hour: The Mother-In-Law Cocktail

by Kayoko Akabori

I found this cocktail inside Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book that we carry at Umami Mart. Aptly named the Mother-In-Law cocktail, it is indeed a stiff enough drink to prepare you for a visit with the in-laws. There’s nothing like a boozy, numbing drink to smooth out anxieties and tensions that a family gathering […]

February 8, 2017

Happy Hour: In the Mood For Love

by Kayoko Akabori

When we talked about me creating a cocktail with the theme of love for Valentine’s day, I balked. Love… ha! How trite! But in these tumultuous times, we could all use some love. Now, more than ever, am I right? When I walked with thousands of other people at the Women’s March in January, we chanted in unison, […]

February 2, 2017

How to Choose a Mixing Glass

by Umami Mart Staff

A good mixing glass is essential to any home or professional bar. But what should you know before you buy one? Of course, you should pick the one that fits your personal style, but beyond aesthetic appeal, there are a few other considerations that can drastically affect your success at making your next stirred cocktail. Here’s a […]

December 28, 2016

Happy Hour: The Drake

by Kayoko Akabori

When the holidays roll around, I reach for Cognac. The Sidecar is my all-time favorite cocktail for these times – a festive mix of Cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon. Nothing says, “Let’s Party!” like a shaken drink; and there is an old-timey, finger-snapping elegance to Cognac that always makes me feel like I’m hanging out with Daisy, Nick, […]

December 26, 2016

Our Annual Gold Rush Sale Starts Today!

by Umami Mart Staff

http://blog.umamimart.com/2016/12/gold-rush-sale/ We hope you had a very merry Christmas and are having a very happy Hanukkah! Now that you’ve finished shopping for everyone else, it’s time to start shopping for yourself. Take advantage of this golden opportunity at our Annual Gold Rush Sale. Starting today, get 20% off 24K gold plated barware and gold-rimmed glassware. Sale […]

December 1, 2016

Go-To Guide: The Complete Cocktail Manual

by Umami Mart Staff

Our friend Lou Bustamante recently released this great cocktail book that we’re excited to carry in our shop. Lou is a spirits professional who’s worked in almost every aspect of the industry – bartending, working in a distillery, developing recipes and products, teaching cocktail classes, and more. He’s also a published writer – covering the spirits and cocktails world for publications […]

October 19, 2016

Happy Hour: Aunt Judy’s Passion Fruit Cocktail

by Kayoko Akabori

Around this time every year, Yoko’s aunt Judy starts bringing around bags of passion fruit for us. She has a very healthy and giving tree in her backyard, which produces plenty of fruit. Judy has been talking about the cocktail she makes with these passion fruit for some time now. Before we said goodbye last […]

September 16, 2016

Our New Jumbo Cobbler Shaker is Large and in Charge

by Umami Mart Staff

Japanese cobbler shakers are notably smaller than their American counterparts. One of the biggest reasons is completely functional – compact shakers are easier and lighter to handle, especially for the Hard Shake, a mesmerizing cocktail making technique created and perfected in Japan. However, we realize sometimes you need to go big. Over the years we’ve gotten requests for larger cobbler shakers, […]

August 8, 2016

Happy Hour: The Western

by Kayoko Akabori

It is really difficult to create cocktails using sake as a base. Sake tends to be subtle and the nuances are often lost when other spirits are combined into the drink. So it takes a genius who understands these subtleties to come up with a cocktail that allows the sake to shine on the palate. Our friends […]