Drink of the Week: Yuja Jack

I can't be the first person to have thought of this. Of course, you need to have a jar of yuja-cha, Korean citron tea, on hand. I picked up this jar on a field trip to H-Mart, a new Korean supermarket in Burlington, MA. I read about yuja tea in an article about Korean ingredients so I was on the prowl for a jar.

To me, yuja-cha is like a thinner version of marmalade, but with more floral notes. (There is no actual tea in citron tea, just fruit and sugar. Traditionally a spoonful is stirred into hot water for sipping.) With its sweetness, I thought it would be an interesting substitute for grenadine in a Jack Rose. I was right.

The Yuja Jack Cocktail

Put into an iced cocktail shaker:

• 1 1/2 ounces Applejack
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) citron tea

Shake until well chilled. Give the drink a quick taste: depending on the tartness of your lemon or the brand of tea you select, you may need more lemon or tea. Adjust and shake again. Strain (the tea has shreds of peel in it) into a cocktail glass. Cheers!