In this playful highball, Nine Bar owners Lily Wang and Joe Briglio channel the flavors of one of their favorite summertime treats: Italian ice, albeit with some unexpected additions. Wang and Briglio describe Nine Bar as an “Asian-ish cocktail bar,” and the Neon City exemplifies their approach with its shochu base, complemented by measures of sake, Calpico and baijiu. It all comes together to form a layered foundation to which aperitivo liqueur and fresh lemon juice bring the expected tangy citrus notes of the drink’s inspiration. Wang describes it as “refreshing, a little funky and pleasantly tart.”
Neon City
Lily Wang and Joe Briglio | Chicago
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce shochu, preferably Mizu Saga barley shochu
- 3/4 ounce sake, preferably Joto Yuzu sake
- 3/4 ounce Calpico
- 1/2 ounce aperitivo liqueur, preferably St. Agrestis Paradiso
- 1/4 ounce baijiu, preferably Ming River
- 1/4 ounce lemon juice
- Topo Chico, to top
Garnish: orange slice
Directions
- Combine all ingredients, except the Topo Chico, in a highball glass with ice.
- Top with Topo Chico.
- Garnish with an orange slice.