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Cheers! While chilled Umeshu can be a great refreshing beverage on its own, mixing it with another ingredient can elevate your experience further. With Umeshu’s strong sweet-sour flavor and fruity aroma, there are a lot of options to explore with the mixology. Here are the five best ways you could relish Umeshu:
With Soda fizz
Nothing can beat the soda-Umeshu combination. The Umeshu-soda split you get is simply exotic. The carbonic acid in the soda and the sweet flavor of plums shine through the drink and lightens the relatively strong flavor of Umeshu. Soda also adds fizz to Umeshu making it a stimulating drink to savor.
On the Rocks
We are all familiar with the very famous whiskey on the rocks and Scotch on the rocks, but have you ever tried Umeshu on the rocks? Now that’s something you simply need to check out! As the ice melts, you can sense a gradual change in the flavor of the drink. The sensation is two-fold. You can enjoy the original flavor of Umeshu as well as relish the changing taste as the ice melts. However, ensure you don’t overdo the ice in the drink and dilute the Umeshu.
With Hot Water
Yes. This might come as a surprise but Umeshu tastes delicious with hot water. Mix the Umeshu plum wine with hot filtered water in the ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. This makes for a great bedtime drink. The warmth seeps into you as you fall asleep. This makes it a perfect beverage for cold winters and cool AC drafts at home.
With Water
Mix your Umeshu plum wine with plain filtered water in the ratio of 1:2. This method is called Mizuwari in Japan. Mizuwari is especially recommended for people who do not prefer stronger beverages and choose to go in for something lighter with a lesser alcohol concentration. Mixing Umeshu with water increases the water content in the drink, diluting the alcohol content.
As Cocktails
Now we come to the most exciting option. You can mix Umeshu with a wide range of ingredients, such as wine, beer, milk, black tea, green tea, fruit juices, etc. to make your preferred cocktails. Juices of fruits like strawberries and peaches pair extremely well with Umeshu and can produce great cocktails. A dash of honey to the Umeshu adds to the flavor. Go experimental and try Umeshu with some chilled milk. However, go slow with the mixing and ensure both the milk and Umeshu are chilled enough to avoid undesirable coagulation.
In this way, you can mix Umeshu with your favorite ingredients to make a drink the way you prefer and enjoy Umeshu through the seasons.