Umeboshi Sour (Pickled Plum Cocktail)

Name: Umeboshi Sour (Pickled Plum Cocktail)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: Ice cubes; ¼ cup shōchū such as Iichiko; ¾ cup sparkling water; 1 ½ tablespoon umezu (plum vinegar); ½ teaspoon plain rice vinegar; ½ teaspoon honey (optional); 1 large and soft umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum); 1 shiso leaf, whole or shredded, for garnish (optional)

When I make an umeboshi sour at home, it tastes like a big night out in Tokyo, roaming from smoky izakaya to stand-up bar – even if I’m actually on the couch in sweats and slippers. This sweet, sour, and fizzy mash up is one of those Japanese cocktails I actually had to taste to wrap my head around. Spoiler: it’s magnificent!

An umeboshi sour is a sparkling shochu highball made with mashed Japanese pickled plum. The plums themselves are aggressively sour and salty (something I used to associate more with a topping for okayu rather than drinks). For my ume sour, I heighten the tartness with plum vinegar – and then soften it with sweet honey and fresh shiso leaves.

Since moving back to Tokyo, I’ve been going out a lot more. Ben and I commonly put an exclamation point on the workweek by hitting up an izakaya (informal Japanese gastropub) for some good food and a bit of Friday night nomikai (drinking party) fun. While Ben defaults to lemon sours, I almost always go for an umeboshi sour. It has become the flavor of a job well done with the weekend laying ahead of us. I decided to make this recipe for the Friday nights we want to take it easy and veg out in front of the TV at home. Otsukaresama desu!

Ingredients
Variations
How To Make It
Expert Tips
Make Ahead Option
What I Serve With Umeboshi Sour
Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients

Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.

Shōchū. This is a distilled spirit with a fairly neutral flavor, usually made from rice or sweet potato with an ABV around 20-30%. Feel free to use either Japanese shochu or Korean soju.
Sparkling Water. Anything with a crisp taste and tight bubbles works here. I used Topo Chico or plain La Croix in the States. Now I use Wilkinson Tansan in Japan.
Plain Rice Vinegar and Umezu. Rice vinegar is tangy and mildly sweet. Umezu is Japanese plum vinegar. It ratchets up the tart factor and contributes to the overall sour plum flavor. There are variants made with just ume, salt and perilla. But I tend to use plum vinegar with a little honey added for sweetness when I can find it.
Honey. This is optional, but I love the floral sweetness that contrasts the more sour and umami notes in the cocktail. Simple syrup is also an option.
Umeboshi. I use the softest Japanese pickled plums I can get my hands on. This helps when it comes to mashing the sour plum into the drink.
Shiso Leaf. This is an aromatic herb that almost looks like a huge mint leaf. But shiso has more of a bright citrusy flavor with a slightly bitter, verdant edge to it. I use this either finely chopped in the drink – or whole as a garnish. (AKA: perilla).

Variations

Since there’s a lot going on in terms of flavor, I’ve got a few options for tailoring the taste of this traditional Japanese cocktail. Likewise, a few of the ingredients can be tough to source, so I’ve included alternatives.

Use vodka instead of shochu. Vodka has a similar neutral flavor to shochu and soju. Just keep in mind that it’s a stronger spirit with an alcohol by volume closer to ~40%.

Make it sweeter or less sweet. Adjust the honey (or simple syrup) amounts to suit your taste. In fact, some umeboshi are aged in honey which gives the natural sour, salty taste an edge of sweetness. But in Japan, it’s also common to order a lemon sour or umeboshi sour amakunai (not sweet).

Go super tart. Add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of rice vinegar for a bit more pucker. An extra sour plum will also add to the overall sour flavor, but keep in mind that it will also add saltiness.

Make it without shiso. While the flavor of shiso isn’t as polarizing as something like cilantro, it’s not for everyone. If having a tough time finding the ingredient, keep in mind that shiso leaves are commonly labeled perilla.

How To Make It

Place ice cubes in a tall glass.
Add shochu and sparkling water.
Mix the two vinegars and honey in a small bowl, and add the mixture to the glass.
Garnish, stir and serve. Add the ume and shiso leaves and serve immediately.

Expert Tips

For strong pickled plum flavor, mash or muddle the umeboshi. Since I love a super strong plum flavor, I use soft umeboshi to easily mash and make the flavor more intense. Just use a long cocktail spoon, a chopstick or a cocktail muddler to mash the plum.

Don’t over-stir the drink. Excessive stirring (or shaking) will shorten the lifespan of the bubbles in the sparkling water. If the muddled plum eventually settles to the bottom of the glass, use a long spoon to gently reincorporate.

Frost the glass. For drinks that stay cold longer, I like to place a wet room temperature glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (not longer than an hour). This keeps the drink cold for longer, which extends the time before the ice cubes begin to melt and water down the carbonation in my cocktail.

Make Ahead Option

Since this is a carbonated drink, I don’t recommend making a big pitcher of cocktails ahead of time. The bubbles will disappear before the guests arrive. However, the umezu, rice vinegar and honey can absolutely be premixed and stored in the fridge for easier drink assembly.

What I Serve With Umeboshi Sour

In keeping with the informal Japanese bar vibe, I serve the small snacks I’ve grown to associate with downing a few ume sours in a neighborhood izakaya. Here are a few of my favorites:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I eat the umeboshi?

Yes! It’s not just a garnish like an orange peel. If you muddle the umeboshi, you’ll be drinking it. But if you leave it whole, it’s definitely meant to be eaten (like the olives in a dirty martini). Just keep in mind that there’s a sizable pit that is inedible.

Are all Japanese cocktails this aggressively flavored?

Not all of them. Umeboshi is certainly an acquired taste. Sour, salty fermented plums aren’t everyone’s cup of tea – and that includes some Japanese people! In truth, many Japanese cocktails are very similar to Western cocktails. A whisky highball is just whisky and soda water. And there are other chuhai (Japanese shochu highballs) with broader appeal – like the famous lemon sour.

Is an ume sour the same as umeshu?

An umeboshi sour is a mixed cocktail made with sour pickled plums and shochu. Umeshu is a Japanese plum liqueur made by steeping green unripe plums in shochu for months (or years) to infuse with plum flavor.

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!