The Kusuri is a soft, nuanced take on Sam Ross’ Penicillin cocktail, from the folks at Oaktown Spice Shop. Switching out the Scotch for Japanese whiskey softens the smoke without sacrificing all of it, while the flavors of milky nigori and earthy matcha are an intriguing change of pace from the ginger in Ross’ version. It’s different enough from the original Penicillin that we thought it merited a better name than the “Sake Penicillin” descriptor it had initially; we rechristened it Kusuri, the Japanese word for “medicine.”
The matcha-salt rim isn’t just for looks – it’s an essential ingredient! Don’t use too much salt in the mix – it’s just a vehicle for the matcha, so make sure it’s the main ingredient.
