Cocktail creations by Umami Mart: shaken, stirred, and remixed.
Happy Hour
March 13, 2017
Happy Hour: The Mother-In-Law Cocktail
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
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, […]
December 28, 2016
Happy Hour: The Drake
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, […]
October 19, 2016
Happy Hour: Aunt Judy’s Passion Fruit Cocktail
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 […]
August 8, 2016
Happy Hour: The Western
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 […]
July 6, 2016
Happy Hour: Umeboshi Splash!
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 […]
April 25, 2016
Happy Hour: Umamichelada!
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 […]
December 21, 2015
Happy Hour: Tokyo 75
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, […]
August 17, 2015
Happy Hour: Don’t Call This a Saketini
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. […]
July 2, 2015
Happy Hour: Kumquat Liqueur
My partner Johnny’s mom has an ultra green thumb. Whenever I see her, she showers me with ripe fruits and vegetables from her bountiful garden. During the summer months, I am lucky to receive scallions that are two feet long, fava beans, and sweet red tomatoes. But with the weather fluctuating so much these days, sometime her plants […]