I call it, “Sesame But Different.” Sesame shochu, soy milk, maple syrup, cacao tincture, spicy bitters, black lava salt rim. Shochu is a Japanese spirit that can be distilled from any starchy grain or vegetable, such as rice, barley, sweet potato, or, as in this case, sesame.

COCKTAIL

2 oz sesame shochu (e.g. Beniotome)

1 oz soy milk (plain/regular/unflavored/unsweetened)

1/2 oz maple syrup

1 dropper cacao tincture

1 dash spicy or Angostura bitters

Black lava salt

Dip a portion of a V-shaped martini glass or a coupe glass first in maple syrup, then in black lava salt (if you don’t have black lava salt, you could substitute cocoa powder plus a pinch of salt to achieve a similar visual contrast and earthy, savory flavor). In a cocktail shaker, combine the shochu, soy milk, maple syrup, tincture, and bitters. Fill to the top with ice, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into the rimmed glass.

PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME 

Cacao Tincture: steep 1 cup of cacao nibs in 1 cup of vodka (at least 80 proof) for several weeks, agitating the mixture a few times a week. The mixture will become dark brown, almost black in color. Strain through a sieve or tea strainer lined with a coffee filter and transfer to a glass dropper bottle. Store in the fridge if not using regularly (you won’t be using all of the tincture for this one cocktail).