Ask A Bartender - Kira Webster, indo

The Asian Influence

WITH KIRA WEBSTER

Photos by Heidi Drexler Kira Webster, Beverage Director at indo, the acclaimed St. Louis-based Japanese-Southeast Asian bar, is inspired by Japanese and Chinese poetry and history when creating her cocktails. She recently placed second with her Himiko cocktail in the 2022 Shochu Cocktail Competition at Bar Goto Niban in Brooklyn, New York.

Kira’s Himiko cocktail is made with shochu, pistachio liqueur blanc vermouth, coffey gin, melon bitters, and a Genmaicha (brown rice green tea) lollipop garnish. The cocktail is named after Himiko, an ancient Japanese Queen who was Japan’s supreme ruler during her reign.

We asked Kira to share her secrets to mixing with Asian ingredients in cocktails.

Tell us about your award-winning Fit for a Himiko cocktail.

Fit for a Himiko is an ode to Queen Himiko, one of Japan’s first rulers in the Kyushu region. I wanted to create a cocktail that evoked her powerful feminine spirit, so I incorporated ingredients that honored her legacy. I built the cocktail around Chiyonosono 1896 8000 Generations Shochu because it’s distilled in the region where she ruled. Leading with a clean, aromatic shochu helped establish the base for the rest of the cocktail flavors. It’s bright and clean with an unexpected twist. Creating this cocktail not only solidified my confidence but also humbled me to be in the company of such extraordinary, talented people who also want to celebrate Asian ingredients.

We hear this story has an interesting backstory/inspiration. Tell us more.

Growing up, I spent my summers visiting family outside of Tokyo. I often heard stories about the legendary Queen Himiko. Strong and confident Japanese women raised me, so I feel a special connection to her story. As one of Japan’s first female rulers, she was a powerful but peaceful queen and shamaness. She led a court of a thousand women and one man (her younger brother) and

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brought peace to Japan during her diplomacy. In the late 1800s, women were banned from assuming a throne. Although, many female leaders like Himiko helped shape the foundation of Japan. So, I dedicate this cocktail to the generations of women that came before me and after me, whose strengths are measured by their patience, kindness, and femininity.

What else can you tell us about your mixing style?

I always start with a specific flavor profile in mind and build around that spirit or flavor. Usually, that will lead me in a certain direction and guide the process. I often look to classic cocktails or basic flavor profiles and see how I can create from there.

Talk to us about your beverage program at indo.

I enjoy working with ingredients that bring me back to my childhood, such as miso, chamomile, sesame, and yuzu. I think bringing Asian elements to the forefront in the St. Louis cocktail scene is important. Using Asian ingredients allows me to put a little bit of myself into the cocktails and give people a better sense of my identity.

Tell us about mixing Asian flavors and components in cocktails.

Using Asian ingredients is all about balance and variety. The flavors are robust, making them easier to control, and they play well with other flavors. Asian flavors are fun, and I enjoy creating cool twists on classic cocktails!

What advice can you give bartenders about incorporating Asian flavors into cocktails.

1. Always rely on trial and error. You will need to experiment if you aren’t familiar with certain ingredients.

2. Give yourself enough time to experiment. Keep adding until you find your balance.

3. Always taste the ingredients separately to better understand what you’re working with.

4. Sit with a flavor. Try to connect with all your senses and see what the flavor profile brings up. Lean into any emotions, memories, or associations that might help inspire you.

5. Seek inspiration from and research how other countries are using flavors.

Fit for a Himiko

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Chiyonosono “8000

Generations” Shochu ¾ oz. Dumante Pistachio liqueur ½ oz. Dolin Blanc ¼ oz. Nikka Coffey Gin 2 dashes Melon bitters

PREPARATION

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain up in a coupe. Garnish with Genmaicha lollipop* (optional).

Genmaicha Lollipop

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar ²⁄3 cup light corn syrup 1 ¼ cups water Genmaicha tea

PREPARATION

Fill lollipop molds with genmaicha tea and lollipop sticks (this can be done while waiting for the sugar to heat up). Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Attach candy thermometer. Increase heat to bring to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves. Boil until temp reaches 310° F (hard crack). Pour syrup into the molds and sprinkle genmaicha tea on top. Let cool until completely hardened then carefully pull lollipops from the molds. Use a bar knife to shape the lollipops after they’ve hardened—make sure there aren’t any sharp edges. Yield: about 36 lollipops.