Umami Mart

“Harry Craddock was once asked what was the best way to drink a Cocktail: ‘Quickly,’ replied the great man, ‘while it’s laughing at you!’” – From the Forward of The Savoy Cocktail Book In 1930, Harry Craddock*, a barman at London’s Savoy Hotel, published a book featuring what would become some of the most well-known […]

I’ve combined all of my loves into one recipe. It’s the Shochu Root Beer Float! I know that whisky is often used to spike root bear floats so I chose a shochu that has qualities of whisky. Kannoko Mugi Shochu is a barley shochu that is aged in oak barrels for three years making it a […]

My best friend Sara wrote a book and it just came out! It’s called Never Ever and it is a young adult fiction novel recreating the story of Peter Pan. I just finished the book yesterday and I must say that it is brilliant! It is the perfect pool-side summer read, or a way to spend […]

Ah, Mexico. We went to Cabo San Lucas over New Year’s and had a magical time. We were captivated by the sea breeze… … the abundantly fresh seafood… … tremendous tacos… … pristine blue skies… … the spirit of adventure… And… … the Michelada! Yes, I had a love affair with the Michelada for the first time on […]

We have a new cocktail shaker that we’re way into. The Yukiwa Stainless Steel Club Boston Shaker is a two-piece shaker that looks like our Stainless Steel Cobbler Shakerand a Boston tin had a baby. Unlike the Cobbler Shaker, the Club Shaker doesn’t have an integrated strainer, which means it’s lighter, more compact, and the drink has more space […]

Photos by Mariko Yamasaki Happy holidays everyone! What a year! I hope you are all able to relax during these last days of 2015 and reflect on joyful memories. It’s been a hectic holiday season here at Umami Mart, and I’m thankful for everything we’ve done in the past year. Namely, we opened our Bottle System, […]

I deplore the word “Saketini.” The whole idea that you can name a cocktail by adding “tini” to the end of it is just plain juvenile and not creative at all. Which is not fair because I’ve been drinking a hell out of these Martinis, subbing sake for vermouth, and the name Saketini is not so far off. […]

*Yoko is in China for 10 days! And with no access to Facebook or Instagram, she is sending us photos the old school way — via postcards. We’ll be featuring these snapshots from Yoko in Chengdu and Shanghai all week here on the blog. Enjoy! – Kayoko My first cocktail in China during this trip […]

With the opening of our bottle shop, I have been exploring the world of sake. Daiginjos, Junmais, Yamahais, Namas, I’m trying them all. While tasting all of the different sakes, there is one particular trait I’m always looking for: would this be good in a cocktail? Tis a very important question. Through all the sakes I’ve tasted so […]

As you know by now, Tori-chan is a dear friend of ours who opened Jicca, a restaurant and wine bar in the Hatagaya neighborhood in Tokyo nearly two years ago. She is a native of Minami-soma in Fukushima prefecture; a town that was severely affected after the earthquake in 2011. She was in Tokyo at […]