Have You Had Your Zen Moment?
Posted by intoxicologist on May 18, 2008
If you haven’t picked up a bottle of Zen Green Tea Liqueur yet, what are you waiting for? I usually try out a little of everything. Nothing stops me from buying a bottle of this and a bottle of that. A recipe comes along with something I have never tried before and I put in an order to my favorite liquor store manager and have it in hand within a few days. But, I must admit, the Zen had me a bit skittish. I drink tea with frequency, but never with sugar, cream or even lemon for that matter. I could not imagine what a green tea liqueur must taste like and then to stir it up in a cocktail?! The Zen had my head shaking.
Then Brian at Myth in the Old Market said he had something he wanted me to try. Honestly, I was excited he had the Zen. I had been bypassing it in the liquor aisle for months. I could try a taste without breaking in an entire bottle. One little sip and the Zen had me hooked. This delicate green liqueur captures the flavor of green tea without the bitterness of incorrectly steeped tea. There is an underlying tone of lemongrass and possibly honey, but the sweetness is not overdone. It has a lilting effect on the tongue rather than being weighed down in sugary burden. This is an exceptional summery liqueur indeed.
Appropriately, my first cocktail experience with Zen was a Zen Moment. This is a rather simple drink, but effective for capturing the essence of the Zen in something chic and summery. The original recipe for the Zen Moment can be found in the pages section under Zen Liqueur Recipes. The recipe below has been altered to fit my palate which presumed to like more Zen in the drink. After all, if it is a Zen Moment, let’s taste the Zen!
Intoxicologist’s Zen Moment
2 ounces Zen Green Tea Liqueur
3 ounces Sauvignon Blanc
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon
Place ice in a wine glass. Pour in Sauvignon Blanc. Layer Zen on top. Squeeze in fresh lemon and float in drink for garnish. Include a cocktail stirrer to sip and stir. Side note: Since this is an iced drink it becomes watered down the longer it sits. Drink up!
Researching the Zen at home proved to be a quite tasty treat. The Zen Harajuku looked interesting with the grapefruit juice and crystallized ginger. Harajuku is an area in Toyko known globally for its youthful style and fashion; an apt description for the Zen Harajuku. It is fresh, light, and cutting edge with the crispness of the grapefruit and the slight twist in flavor the ginger weaves into the drink. I did a taste test comparison with and without the ginger. The Zen Harajuku cocktail is wonderful with or without the ginger. If you are not a fan of ginger, leave it out. The ginger adds dimension to the cocktail, but is not a deal breaker if it is taken away.
Zen Harajuku
1-1/2 ounce Zen Green Tea Liqueur
3/4 ounce Citrus Vodka
1-1/2 ounce Fresh Red Grapefruit Juice
1 Slice Muddled Crystallized Ginger
Place Zen into a cocktail shaker with ginger. Muddle. Add vodka and grapefruit juice. Add ice. Shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a well chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of crystallized ginger if you wish. Side note: Some grocery stores carry tubes of fresh ginger in the produce section. A small squeeze will do in a pinch in place of the crystallized ginger without the added step of muddling. Add all ingredients in the cocktail shaker. Shake, strain and serve.
Of course my experiment would not be complete without the Zen Margarita. Being a Patron fan I did have to substitute Zen’s recommendation and go with my favorite. I found the website recipe to be a little weak on Zen and no bar syrup needed, so below is my spiced up version.
Intoxicologist’s Zen Margarita
1-1/2 ounces Zen Green Tea Liqueur
2 ounces Patron Silver Tequila
1/2 ounce Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
Lime Wedge for Garnish
Combine all ingredients except garnish in cocktail shaker filled one third full of ice. Shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a well chilled martini glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
End note: The Zen is excellent as a sipping liqueur and tastes great when mixed, however the color does not shine in cocktails. My first thought in each cocktail was that Zen will definitely be the first liqueur I reach for when concocting new drinks for my next Halloween party. The green is a perfect hue for any witches brew. Then again, the Cosmo pink is becoming a little cliché in the day to day girlie cocktail. Zen is about cutting edge. The Cosmo may just turn a little green with envy.
To find all the Zen Green Tea Liqueur Recipes from the Zen website click here http://intoxicologist.wordpress.com/zen-liqueur-recipes/ or go directly to the Zen website found in my Blogroll section.
May 22, 2008 at 7:24 pm
How do you make a Zen Green Tea Shooter?
May 22, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Thank you for asking Bob. I made a new posting for you on my main page.
May 23, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Sorry I didn’t get back to you quicker! Love the Zen write-up. I might have to steal your Zen Margarita for a special…if that would alright. Take care and we’ll see what else we can’t stir up.
Next week, Three Olives is releasing 3 new flavored vodkas…..Triple Espresso, Root Beer and wait for it…..tomato!
May 23, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Cool Brian! Myth can have any recipe Myth wants! You’re my fave! Ah! I’ll have to get right over and try the Three Olives. They certainly are cutting edge. See you soon.