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This fruity, sweet drink is perfect for afternoon sipping.
About the cocktail
This cocktail collaboration is with our very talented friend Jessica Nguyen. No stranger to Dan’s Daily, Jess has been helping us out with cool recipes and hosting tips since way back when. So, naturally, we invited her back for cocktails – specifically, her Lychee Soju Mojito. But first, a little bit about Jess. Aside from being one of our very best friends, Jess is a home cook and food creative living in Melbourne/Naarm. She loves food, a good laugh and, most importantly, helping us folks out with our home soirees. To kick off our conversation with Jess, we asked her our absolute favourite question: if she was a cocktail what would she be? “A short-shaken, spicy but fruity cocktail. A Spicy Watermelon Margarita with a chilli-infused tequila and a Tajin rim.” Jess loves inspiring people to cook, drink and throw parties at home. And on her days off, she loves nothing more than to invite people to her place for a home-cooked meal. Entertaining is in her DNA, and the Lychee Soju Mojito was designed for a specific kind of party: Lunar New Year. “I love the colours and layers the drink has. Lychee and makrut lime on the bottom, soju in the centre, and then a marbling of Angostura Bitters with some crushed ice on top. It's perfect for this special holiday.” Aptly, the base of the drink is soju – a wildly popular Korean spirit, not to be confused with Japanese shochu. Soju comes in many styles and flavours, making it the ideal starting point for cocktail experimentation. Here it’s used in a deliciously fruity and fragrant twist on the OG Mojito. While it may seem to share no resemblance to the classic Mojito recipe, there are few key similarities that tie it to the original. Both drinks are herbaceous and fragrant, citrusy and sweet, and perhaps the biggest similarity is that both cocktails are built in a highball glass. If you are after the best lychee cocktail to whip up at home, check out Jessica’s video and top tips below.
Watch: How to make a Lychee Soju Mojito
Ingredients
4 canned lychees, pitted 1 makrut lime leaf 50mL lychee-flavoured soju
15mL lychee liqueur 20mL fresh lemon juice 4 dashes Angostura Bitters Garnish: lychee, slice of fresh ginger, and mint
Method
Add all ingredients, except for the bitters and garnishes, to a highball glass Lightly muddle, then add enough crushed ice to fill the glass a quarter of the way Swizzle aggressively, then add more crushed ice until the glass is three-quarters full Add four dashes of bitters, slot in a reusable straw, then top with even more crushed ice Garnish with a lychee, slice of ginger and mint
Jessica’s top tips
One of the best things about the Lychee Soju Mojito is that it’s fairly easy to assemble. However, much like a traditional Mojito, it does require some attention to detail – specifically on the ice and dilution. “This cocktail is all about the crushed ice. Crush your ice in advance and keep it in your freezer to pull it out just before serving,” Jessica explains. “Also, as it's a buildable, in-the-one-glass kind of cocktail, I would have all the ingredients laid out on a bar cart or table so that guests can make their own!” One note from us – don’t over-crush your ice because you run the risk of over-dilution. If the ice is too fine, it’ll melt too quickly. So, when crushing your ice, try to keep it to nice cracked gems. In terms of what we should be eating with this delish drink, Jess recommends “a big Lunar New Year lunch spread.” And, of course, plenty of mates.
