Mizuwari

Ingredients

Whisky

• 45 mlJapanese whisky

Water

• 90to 110 ml soft still water, very cold

Ice

• large clear ice cubes, enough to fill the glass

Equipment

• a tall straight glass, chilled
• a long bar spoon

Note

• no lemon, no sugar, no garnish

Directions

1. Use filtered or bottled still water with a low mineral content. It should be properly cold before it goes in the glass. Use large clear cubes rather than small cloudy ones. Slow melting is what keeps the drink from watering down as you drink it.
2. Start at one to two and adjust to your own taste. Fill a tall glass with ice and water and let it stand. A warm glass melts the ice immediately.
3. Fill the chilled glass to the top with fresh large ice cubes. Use more ice than looks necessary. Pour the whisky over the cold ice.
4. Stir the whisky and ice together thirteen or so times. The whisky should be as cold as the ice before it is diluted.
5. Top up the glass with fresh ice if the level has dropped. Adding the water is done gently. Pour the cold water slowly down the inside of the glass.
6. Pour it over the back of the bar spoon if you want to be careful. Do not dump it in, since that agitates and melts the ice.
7. Stir the drink slowly three and a half times. The idea is to combine without knocking the ice about. Lift the bar spoon out cleanly. Serving it is done immediately and plainly. Serve it with no garnish of any kind.

Technique

• Use soft low-mineral water, since hard water flattens the whisky.
• Chill the whisky against the ice before adding water, which is what the first stir is for.
• Large clear cubes melt slowly and keep the drink from watering down.

Substitutions

• Any whisky, though the serve was designed around Japanese styles.
• Bottled still water with low mineral content.

Variations

• Made lighter, at one part whisky to two and a half of water.
• Highball, made with soda water instead.
• Oyuwari, made with hot water in winter.

History

The serve that built Japanese whisky’s domestic market, designed by Suntory to suit food and humid summers.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mizuwari?

Mizuwari is a cocktail from Japan: whisky stirred with ice and soft water in exact proportions. The serve that built Japanese whisky’s domestic market, designed by Suntory to suit food and humid summers.

How long does Mizuwari take to make?

Mizuwari takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Mizuwari?

Yes, within limits. Any whisky, though the serve was designed around Japanese styles. Bottled still water with low mineral content.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mizuwari?

Use filtered or bottled still water with a low mineral content. It should be properly cold before it goes in the glass. Use large clear cubes rather than small cloudy ones. Slow melting is what keeps the drink from watering down as you drink it.