cocktail review no. 71 - Hotaru

Today's a red-letter day, folks: I'm reviewing one of my own creations. Not since the Potion F have I created a cocktail, much less posted a semi-objective review on this here blog. Feel privileged.

To my knowledge, nobody has (officially) crafted anything like this before, nor named it what I've named it. Don't fret, I'll explain the title presently. But before we do anything else, let's have the recipe:

• 1.5 ounces soju
• 1 ounce triple sec
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 1 lime wedge

Pour the soju, the triple sec and the lime juice into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Does this sound familiar? It should. It's practically identical to a kamikaze. The only difference is that soju stands in for the vodka in the original.

The taste, if I may be so bold, is marvelous. The soju performs the same function as the vodka would, soaking up the flavors of the orange liqueur and the lime juice. However, it is milder and sweeter than vodka, so even great prominence is given to the citrus flavors. And yet, the soju adds just a hint of the exotic to the mélange. You know, right away, that this isn't a vodka drink. The overall flavor was akin to a glass of orange limeade, with a mild kick afforded by the base liquor. It was infinitely refreshing and delightfully tangy. And as always, it's customizable. If you like sweet more than sour, just minimize the lime juice and add more triple sec. If you wanna pucker up, just do the reverse.

The inclusion of soju in this cocktail had a great deal to do with my choice of the name "hotaru." Hotaru is the Japanese word for "firefly." It's also the name of a film about—get this—Korean kamikaze pilots.

Tak Kyung-hyun, a Korean who gave his life as a special attack pilot for the Japanese in WWII.

Yes, they existed. I was shocked, too, believe me. But historical research has shown that a dozen or more ethnic Koreans (taking Japanese names, as per the prewar Soshi-kaimei ordinance which Japan imposed on the Korean peninsula) served as kamikaze pilots in World War II. This news story from 2008 talks about a memorial for one of these fellows, Tak Kyung-hyun, being erected in the city of Sacheon. Naturally, there was quite a bit of controversy. Some Koreans think these dudes were pressured or coerced into flying suicide missions for Japan, and therefore deserve some posthumous sympathy; while others insist that they were collaborators of the worst sort, and their memories should be stricken from the history books.

Anyway, the movie Hotaru, which came out in 2000, is about a Korean kamikaze pilot who dies in combat. His two Japanese buddies survive the war, and one of them winds up marrying his deceased friend's Japanese fiancée, and there's some awkwardness there or something. Sounded like it might be worth checking out.

Anyway, I chose the word hotaru for this beverage because "Korean kamikaze" sounded boring and basic (even if it is alliterative). I wanted something more poetic, and I found it.

Try it, sample it, roll it around your tongue for a while (both the name and the drink) and then tell me what you think. I dare you. Your personal reviews might just save my future bar. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm working on a couple of other recipes at the moment. I hope to bring my total of alcoholic creations up to four before the year's out.

Stay put and stay tuned, and you'll get some free samples.