Ume Gokochi is, true to its name, “the comfort of ume,” and its secret is a single salty umeboshi resting at the bottom of a sweet, sparkling glass.
Sake lends a soft rice aroma, umeshu brings ripe, sweet-tart plum, and a touch of grenadine blushes the drink pink, while chilled soda lifts it all into fine, lively bubbles and the pickled plum quietly tightens every sip.
Japanese through and through and made for the dinner table, it’s a glass well worth pouring tonight.
Recipe & How to Make It
Ingredients
Recipe no.195
- Sake — 1 + 2/3 oz (50ml)
- Umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) — 2 + 2/3 oz (80ml)
- Grenadine — 1 tsp
- Simple syrup — 1 tsp
- Soda — Full
- Umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum) — 1
※ 1 tsp = one bar spoon
※ Full = fill the glass to about 80–90%
7 Recommended Grenadine Syrup Brands
How to Make It
Chill the sake and soda in advance.
Add the umeboshi, sake, umeshu, grenadine and simple syrup to the glass, stir lightly, then add ice.
Top with soda slowly so it doesn’t foam, then stir gently, and it’s ready.
For carbonated drinks, stir slowly one or two turns and lift the ice up and down once to mix.
・Technique ｜ Stir
・Glass ｜ Collins Glass / Tumbler Glass
・ABV ｜ About 11%–12%
・Best Enjoyed ｜ Any Time / After Dinner
Ume Gokochi Characteristics, Recommendations & Video
Flavor & Character
Ume Gokochi means “the comfort of ume,” and the drink lives up to its name. Umeshu, ume fruit steeped in spirit and sugar, has been made in Japanese homes since at least the Edo period, and here it meets the soft rice aroma of sake.
Grenadine adds a blush of pink and simple syrup rounds the edges, while soda brings fine, lively bubbles. The salty umeboshi at the bottom tightens the sweet-tart flavor, the way a pinch of salt lifts fruit.
I’d sip it alongside Japanese food; it’s comfort in a glass.
Tips, Twists & Food Pairings
Tips
- Common mistake: adding ice before mixing the syrups — Syrups dissolve slowly in cold liquid, so with ice in first they sink and leave the drink uneven, plain on top and sugary at the bottom. Stir the sake, umeshu and syrups first, then add the ice.
- Press the umeboshi gently — A light press with the bar spoon releases the plum’s salty, tangy flavor into the drink. I’d always press it once before adding the ice; the umeboshi’s salt is what gives this cocktail its distinctive balance.
- Choose a light, dry sake — A crisp junmai or ginjo sake keeps the drink clean and lets the umeshu’s fruit shine, while rich or aged sake can feel heavy. Serve it well chilled for the brightest flavor.
Twists
- Shiso Ume Gokochi — Add a few torn shiso leaves before the soda. Shiso and ume are a classic Japanese pairing, and its fresh, minty-herbal aroma makes the drink even brighter.
- Yuzu Ume Gokochi — Add a splash of yuzu juice or a strip of yuzu peel. The fragrant Japanese citrus lifts the umeshu’s sweetness with a sharp, floral edge for a lighter, more refreshing glass.
Food Pairings
- Yakitori with salt (Japanese grilled chicken skewers) — Salt-seasoned chicken lets the drink’s plum aroma shine, and the umeshu’s acidity refreshes the palate after each smoky, juicy bite.
- Vegetable tempura — The bubbles and the plum’s tartness cut through the crisp batter’s richness, much like a squeeze of citrus, keeping each piece light.
- Sashimi — The sake’s gentle rice aroma suits delicate raw fish, while the umeboshi’s saltiness works like a light seasoning that brings out the fish’s natural sweetness.
Recipe Video
- Recipe Video｜Ārupāku Channel Home
