Okay now this is secretly my actual crown jewel of my cocktail making journey so far. My Favorite drink I’ve ever personally made this drink combines some amazing ingredients to reference one of the greatest anime of all time. So SO Vinsmoke is in reference to Vinsmoke Sanji, the cook of the Straw-hat Pirates, a character from One Piece. Now lets get into the recipe so I can explain this beautiful drink.
- 1.5 Oz Iwai Traditional
- 0.5 Oz Demerara Syrup
- 0.5 Oz Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino
- Bar spoon Yellow Chartreuse
Stir and Serve up with a cinnamon stick set alight on one side before being extinguished in the drink like a cigarette being put out (another reference to the character as Sanji is a smoker)
To start Iwai is a very fun spirit. A Japanese Whiskey from the protégé of the creator of Suntory the whole brand is excellently crafted and should be respected for how beautiful it is. The traditional whiskey gives that smokie almost peaty flavor that you may expect from Japanese whiskey. Obviously it being made with Japanese whiskey was on purpose with ya know an Anime being the reference.
Secondly Demerara is a beautiful sugar that’s complex in its nearly bitter flavor. A wonderful addition to the whiskey. This part isn’t a reference but a nice nod to a good ingredient that a chef like Sanji would enjoy
Now onto that beautifully underrated vermouth. Cocchi is known for its blanc sweet vermouth called Americano. Its beautiful but so is their slightly less known Vermouth di torino. A Italian sweet vermouth its sweet with a nearly raisin and raspberry flavor to it. It gives a nice depth to the cocktail without taking away anything from the other flavors.
The final touch is the reason the cocktail was named after Sanji. Yellow Chartreuse is the little sibling to the Green variety. While Green is far more well known and well enjoyed the Yellow is just as flavorful. Its more subtle yes but with just that little bar spoon, about a quarter of an ounce, the drink goes from being a Manhattan twist to being something with SO much more depth. The reason its a reference is that Sanji is a yellow haired Frenchman.
And with that my cocktail is finished. I thank you dearly for reading about this drink. I am quite proud of this one and would love for it to be tried by more people. Take care of yourselves.
“Cooking Is A Gift From The Gods. Spices Are A Gift From The Devil. Looks Like It Was A Little Too Spicy For You.”
Vinsmoke Sanji
Drinks by Greed 