Unapologetic chick drink of the week: Tokyo Joe
Pretty in pink: the Tokyo Joe comes in its own specially designed glass at Peter.Despite its masculine-sounding name, the Tokyo Joe cocktail at Peter (The Peninsula Tokyo 24F, 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, tel. 03 6270 2763, 5pm-12am) has a decidedly feminine appeal. Electric pink and enticingly perfumed, this clever blend of Bombay Sapphire gin, umeshu plum liqueur, Drambuie and cranberry juice achieves a delicate balance of sweetness and acidity, infused with earthy finesse.
The Tokyo Joe is Japan’s plum-scented answer to the Singapore Sling, with just enough alcohol to imbue you with the same rosy glow. And the fact that it comes in a specially designed glass that looks like a classy tiki torch tickles us, well, pink.
The 1949 Humphrey Bogart movie "Tokyo Joe" served as the initial inspiration for the cocktail, but we suspect that senior bartender Mari Kamata had the ladies in mind when she created it.
