Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 2

Photo from Goodreads.com

For this pairing I chose Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden and my drink The Orchid Kiss.  I thought the name definitely evoked Japan with the orchids and all, and I threw in the kiss for the Geisha's role as female seductress.  The cocktail blends plum wine, sake, and lychee.  Flavor-wise the taste is definitely sweet, but also crisp and light.  The lychee flavor really stands out at first, but then you also taste the sake and the plum.  This would be a great drink to take whilst on a stroll through a Japanese garden with lots of pink cherry blossoms in bloom (sort of like how Chiyo/Sayuri and The Chairman do in the movie version of the book).  I used a lychee fruit for garnish, but something more colorful would also complement the drink well since it is almost clear in color. 

The Orchid Kiss

1 1/2 oz. Sake
2 oz. Plum wine

3 oz. Juice from canned lychee

1 lychee fruit for garnish

How to:  In a cocktail shaker mix ice, sake, plum wine, and lychee juice.  Shake for at least 20 seconds.  Pour into a chilled highball glass with lots of ice.

I used Takara Plum Wine, Haiku Sake and Golden Star Lychees