My lemon sour recipe is crisp, citrusy and seriously fizzy. I only use 4 simple ingredients to make this tart and mildly sweet Japanese shōchū highball. Let me show you how to make it at home. Kanpai!
When I was living and working as a model in Japan, I got a side job as a bartender. I probably made thousands of lemon sours in the short time I worked there. What I loved most – especially when we were busy – was that the formula was super easy. The Japanese lemon sour (レモンサワー) is a refreshing and crisp cocktail made with shochu, fresh lemon juice, soda water and sometimes simple syrup – served on the rocks in a highball glass.
Sure, I drank quite a few as well – long after I quit the bartending gig and my modeling portfolio grew. I loved the refreshing citrusy, effervescence at the end of a long day. In fact, that’s the exact flavor profile that reminds me most of those carefree years in Tokyo, hanging out with friends at an izakaya, munching on edamame pods and smoky blistered shishito peppers into the wee hours.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Lemon Juice: I always use fresh juice. Anywhere between 1-2 tablespoons based on taste preferences (that’s about 1/2 a lemon if the lemon is fairly juicy). Purists may scoff at this, but I’ve even used fresh lime juice when the lemons at the grocery store were *meh*.
- Shōchū or Soju: Japanese shochu or Korean soju are interchangeable when making lemon sours. Grab whatever you prefer – and what’s most readily available in your area. Sometimes you’ll hear soju referred to as Korean vodka. And while there are some differences in flavor and ABV, it’s close enough that I’ve totally used vodka in a pinch.
- Soda Water: Any club soda works as long as it’s got a crisp taste with tight bubbles. I’ve used Topo Chico, Schweppes, plain La Croix and seltzer I made using a Soda Stream.
- Simple Syrup: This is just a solution of 1 part sugar dissolved into 1 part warm or hot water. The problem with adding sugar to a cold cocktail is that it rarely dissolves fully. I keep a container of simple syrup in the fridge to use in cocktails, iced coffee, mint lemonade, etc. This works with refined sugar and raw sugar alike.
- Ice Cubes: Any ice is fine here. But larger, solid cubes melt more slowly and neutralize the fizziness of your lemon sour less. The ice from our refrigerator at home, for example, produces cloudy weak ice cubes that get slushy quickly. Sometimes I make more solid ice cubes by freezing distilled water in silicone molds. But this isn’t a deal breaker. Seriously, keeping it simple is the way to go! If you’re seriously into fancy 100% clear cocktail ice, you can make it at home with a little work.
How to Make a Japanese Lemon Sour
- Mix the citrus and liquor. Add the lemon juice and shochu (or soju) to a tall glass. Add plenty of ice cubes and stir well.
- Soda and simple syrup. Add the soda water. About a cup should do it. Next, add the simple syrup. If this is the first time you’re making a lemon sour at home, add a little bit, taste – then add more until you’re satisfied with the sweetness level. If you’re watching your sugar intake, feel free to omit.
- Stir, garnish and serve. Finally, stir one to two gentle rotations with a swizzle stick, chopstick or straw – and garnish with a slice of lemon or a lemon twist (a curl from a lemon peel). Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
While there’s no need to overcomplicate things, here are a couple simple things I do to make sure my Japanese sawa is as cold, tart and fizzy as possible.
- Use a frosted glass. Frosting your glass means that your ice cubes won’t melt as quickly and your drink will stay colder longer. To do this, I simply wet a clean, room temperature collins glass with a little water and stick it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Don’t use a hot glass fresh out of the dishwasher – as the quick change in temperature can cause it to crack.
- Or chill a room temp glass with ice. Sometimes I don’t want to wait 30 minutes for a frosted glass. So I just cool it down with ice cubes. Fill a glass with ice cubes and stir the cubes with a long spoon or chopstick for at least 30 seconds. Make sure to pour out any water that melts prior to assembling your cocktail. Instant cold!
- Freeze lemons. If you like a super tart lemon sour that won’t get watery, use frozen lemons instead of ice cubes. To do this, segment a lemon (I like to remove the outer skin entirely) and put the juicy flesh in the freezer. Use the frozen lemon bits in lieu of ice. It’s super fresh and extremely tart!
- Don’t over stir or shake your lemon sour. Once the seltzer (soda water) is added to the glass, those bubbles won’t stick around forever. And one of the main dangers to the bubbles is stirring too much. I’ve found that one or two rotations of a spoon or straw is enough to get the job done – while keeping the lion’s share of the fizz in the cocktail.
Variations
There are many sour versions of shochu highballs aside from the iconic lemon sour. Here are a few I’ve commonly found on bar and izakaya menus in Japan:
- Apple Sour
- Plum Sour
- Calpis Sour
- Yuzu Sour
- Kabosu Sour
But keep in mind that Japanese sour drinks differ a bit from classic cocktails like a pisco sour, amaretto sour, whiskey sour or a sidecar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned versions of sour drinks are sometimes branded as Chu-hi (shochu highball) – and are sold at Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson. I like to think of these delicious, colorful pop-tops from the konbini as the hard seltzer of Japan.
Shochu (焼酎) is a Japanese spirit distilled from rice, barley or sweet potatoes. It is a fairly neutral spirit with a mild sweetness that varies depending on the base ingredients – and is routinely enjoyed on the rocks, neat, in highballs and in cocktails. Japanese shochu has an ABV (alcohol by volume) that varies from around 25-40% – which is considerably lower than most vodka and Japanese whisky – but higher than most sake. Soju is a Korean spirit (with a similar ABV) distilled from many of the same base ingredients. You can use either one to make a lemon sour.
Sure! Neutral spirits like vodka are sometimes used in Japanese sawa drinks. They’re just stronger.
Snacks That Go Well With This Drink
One of my favorite things about food and drink culture in Japan is the izakaya. Think of izakayas as Japanese gastropubs that serve tapas sized portions of food alongside beer and cocktails. They’re great for having a meal with friends that can span several hours. Whether you’re in Nakameguro or Indianapolis, here are some of my favorite izakaya-style recipes I love with a crisp and fizzy lemon sour.
- The Best Yaki Udon
- Okonomiyaki
- Nasu Dengaku – Miso Glazed Eggplant
- Inarizushi
- Kani Salad – Japanese Crab Salad
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Lemon Sour (Japanese)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Make this classic Japanese lemon sour cocktail with just 4 ingredients!
Ingredients
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup shōchū (or soju)
- 1/2 cup soda water
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Mix juice, shōchū and ice. Add lemon juice and shōchū to a tall glass. Then add ice cubes and stir.
- Add soda and simple syrup. Add soda water. Then slowly add the simple syrup and taste as you go. Use more if you prefer a sweeter drink. Stir one or two rotations (don’t overmix!) with a straw or chopstick.
- Garnish and serve. Top with a lemon slice and serve.
Notes
You can pre-make the simple syrup and keep it on hand. Just mix 1 part sugar with 1 part hot water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Chill before using.
Large, clear, solid ice cubes will melt more slowly than weak, slushy ice. To further inhibit ice melt, use a frosted or cold glass.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drink
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 15.7g
- Sodium: 26.8mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21.3g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
