When Andrew McConnell permanently installed his Supernormal Canteen pop-up this winter, St Kilda was treated to a pictorial drinks list, smoky yakitori and a “trophy cabinet” full of rare and unusual sakes. Supernormal’s Head Bartender Michael Calamante explains that, when making cocktails at home to match your Friday night take-away (or Deliveroo-ed Canteen perhaps), “a lot of Asian food is either clean and ingredient-specific, like sashimi, or tends to lean toward the spicy. So when making drinks to match you want to cater to that.” Michael recommends “ingredients like lemongrass, yuzu (if you can get your hands on it!) or shiso which is a Japanese mint that you can also be made into a water or syrup which is sweet and citric.”

He says Canteen’s signature cocktail the Umeshu Spritz “works well, oddly enough, with prawn and chicken dumplings. You’ve got all that spice, that big flavour in there and the umeshu spritz brings bright, fresh, ume flavours that work as a contrast.” Michael has kindly shared the recipe, which is super simple for Spring, below. The shiso makes for a pretty visual but yes it is edible.

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– Umeshu Spritz –

– Ingredients –

30ml Choya Classic Umeshu (Japanese plum wine)
90ml Prosecco
1 Shiso leaf
1 Lemon wedge

– Method –

Add umeshu and prosecco to a wine glass. Add a large handful of fresh ice. Garnish with a shiso leaf and a lemon wedge.

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Get spritzed at Supernormal Canteen, 2/157 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda (or Supernormal, 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne). Photography by Nikki To.

Find more cocktail recipes here.