The Yuzu has arrived.

Long a darling in the culinary world, yuzu has finally earned a place behind the bar. Ideal for drink making with its tart flavor profile - a cross between a grapefruit and Mandarin orange -yuzu is a cutting edge flavor helping to fuel mixology innovation.

Ounce for ounce, yuzu juice has more character and impact than your average citrus juice. Yuzu pairs well with many spirits including vodka, gin, tequila and cachaça. Across America, the use of yuzu juice is elevating classic and signature cocktails.

At Morimoto New York, yuzu has the starring role in Thunder Lightning. Fresh yuzu mixed with ginger and shochu, a Japanese clear distilled spirit similar to vodka, results in a crisp and clear cocktail that pairs well with sushi delights of the iron chef menu. The balance has yuzu fans coming back for more.

Yuzu juice is also featured in a signature at posh Cyrus Restaurant, Healdsburg. During his tenure at Cyrus, master bar chef Scott Beattie developed a celebrated cocktail repertoire, which included Huck Yu, a popular, wine-country favorite. Made with Hangar One Straight Vodka, lemoncello, Verjus (unripe grape juice), handmade huckleberry syrup and yuzu juice. The ingredients are vigorously shaken, strained into a chilled cocktail glass and finished off with a fill of sparkling wine.

In today’s cocktail culture, innovation is king. Incorporating new and exciting flavors is key to keeping ahead of the competition and to guaranteeing patrons come back for more. Yuzu is one such flavor here to stay.

"The American palate craves clean flavors, less sugary concentration. Yuzu’s popularity has grown in velocity as its citrus notes pair well with old school spirits, which has seen a resurgence in beverage use." – Somer Perez, President/Couture Cocktail Concepts