Kinbato: A Japanese Paloma cocktail recipe
Say hello to the Kinbato, our refreshing original Japanese cocktail recipe inspired by the tropical flavors of Okinawa. For this, we're putting a Japanese twist on the classic Paloma cocktail. With Japan's humid summer in full swing, this light, zesty cocktail is perfect for Japanese-style outdoor BBQs or winding down after a day in the sun.
Let us bring a little Okinawan sunshine to your glass with this Japanese Paloma cocktail recipe — you're going to love it!
The Inspiration
A couple of kinbato doves, also known as Emerald Dove
For this creation, we are getting our inspiration from a well-known drink in Central America: the Paloma. Many people think that the tequila-based Margarita is the most famous drink in Mexico, but actually, the national Mexican cocktail is the Paloma. This classic drink is also made with a tequila base. Other ingredients include grapefruit juice and a sweet citrusy soda — a refreshing cocktail.
The word Paloma means 'dove' in Spanish, so our new version will be named after a beautiful, colorful dove, the Kinbato, which can be found in Japan's southernmost prefecture. For our Kinbato cocktail, we will keep the classic ratios and stay with a citrus-forward summer drink with a strong alcohol kick.
Using Shikuwasa
Image: iStock: botamochi
We are using shikuwasa juice as the citrus element in our recipe. Shikuwasa is an Okinawan lime with a rich citrus flavor and a sour taste. In Japan, it is used like lemon to flavor grilled meat, fish and salad dressings. It can also be used in ice cream, desserts and juice drinks — everything is possible with shikuwasa
Shikuwasa can be easily purchased online, especially in bottled juice form. While it's harder to find fresh outside of Okinawa, if you do have access to the real thing, by all means, use it. The fresh flavor is brighter and uniquely more refreshing. Since fresh shikuwasa are pretty small — most about three centimeters in diameter — the best way to juice them is to cut a slice in the skin and squeeze the fruit whole without cutting in half as we often do with lemons or limes. This method not only makes juicing easier but also helps keep seeds out of your juice (and your cocktail).
The Sweetness & Spice
Image: Lauren Shannon
Click here to read more.
External Link
https://savvytokyo.com/
© Savvy Tokyo
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tokyo Weekender
4 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Street Fighter II's E. Honda Is Taking Over Osaka's Bathhouses This Summer
If you ever button-mashed your way through Street Fighter II , you probably remember E. Honda's iconic stage: a traditional sento bathhouse with ornate tiles lining the walls and a sumo ring in the center. This summer, that beloved backdrop is stepping out of the arcade and into real life as E. Honda becomes the face of the 2025 edition of Sento no Susume (Osaka & Kansai Edition), a campaign to revitalize Japan's unique bathhouse culture. List of Contents: Soap, Sento and Sumo Fighting Get to Know the Sento no Susume Project Soap, Sento and Sumo Fighting Sento no Susume 2025 (Osaka & Kansai Edition) brings together three iconic brands. It's sponsored, as always, by Beams Japan and Cow Brand Soap — a legendary Japanese soap brand with over a century of history. This year, Capcom is lending support. The event runs from August 7 to September 30 and will transform Osaka's Utopia Shiratama Onsen into a nostalgia-packed Street Fighter II- themed space, with artwork depicting E. Honda and the game's main protagonist, Ryu, including a specially commissioned mural adorning the bath's interior walls. Additionally, across Kansai, approximately 160 bathhouses will hang limited-edition noren curtains featuring E. Honda. The campaign also includes a stamp rally where you visit 12 different sento and collect stamps. Collect them all, and you will be eligible to receive one of 4,500 limited-edition prize sets (original, Street Fighter II –themed towels). Beams will also hold pop-up stores at three locations in the Kansai region, selling special sento-themed merchandise: two types of T-shirts, caps, sauna hats, towels, wash buckets and Cow Brand soap with a limited-edition box. From August 7 to 21, Beams Tennoji and Beams Umeda will showcase the collaboration, while Beams Namba will offer it through August 31. Key items will also be available at 23 additional Beams locations across the country during the campaign period. Get To Know the Sento no Susume Project Sento no Susume is a collaborative project launched in 2019 by Cow Brand Soap and Beams Japan , created with the shared goal of celebrating and preserving Japan's sento culture. Cow Brand Soap — a brand beloved for over a century, guided by its philosophy of 'Constant Kindness' — is committed to supporting local communities and protecting bathhouse traditions. Beams Japan , known for spotlighting Japanese creativity through retail and collaborations across fashion, crafts and regional events, brings a cultural perspective to the project. While the role of public bathhouses has shifted over time, sento continue to serve as meaningful spaces for relaxation and community connection. Through creative content, events and collaborations, Sento no Susume aims to inspire a new generation — including visitors and those unfamiliar with sento — to discover their quiet charm. Since its Tokyo debut in 2019, Sento no Susume has consistently pushed creative boundaries to make bathhouse culture relevant to contemporary audiences. Now in its fifth edition, the 2025 campaign spotlights one of the most beloved aspects of sento culture: the ability to bring together strangers and create spontaneous connections. More Information Sento no Susume 2025 Osaka & Kansai Edition runs from August 7 to September 30, 2025. For more information and participating sento locations, click here . Social Media Campaign for Visitors to Japan Travelers to Japan can join a special campaign on social media and receive an exclusive sticker from the collaboration. For more details, check out the official event page .
6 hours ago
Pokemon-Themed Facility to Open in Tokyo Next Spring
News from Japan Economy Guide to Japan Travel Jul 23, 2025 19:27 (JST) Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Pokemon Co. has announced that it will open the first permanent facility for visitors to experience the world of popular Japanese game Pocket Monster, or Pokemon, in Tokyo next spring. The PokePark Kanto facility will be built at the Yomiuriland amusement park in Inagi in a suburb of the Japanese capital. Tickets will go on sale around this autumn. The 2.6-hectare outdoor facility, comprised of the 'forest' and 'town' areas, will allow guests to look for Pokemon characters and buy related goods as well as enjoy parades. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
13 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Snufkin shows the freedom found in solitude and simplicity
'One can never be truly free, if one admires someone else too much.' Such counsel could only come from someone like Snufkin—a philosophical wanderer, poet at heart, who values freedom, independence and solitude above all else. It's the kind of advice he might offer to those who idolize him, gently warning against the dangers of attachment. A beloved figure in the Moomin series, Snufkin follows a ritual all his own: He departs on solitary travels before winter sets in and faithfully returns to Moominvalley with the coming of spring. At "Tove Jansson and the Moomins," an exhibition currently on view in Tokyo celebrating the artistic world of the Finnish creator behind the beloved literary family, Snufkin stands out as a crowd favorite. Every illustration and sketch of the free-spirited wanderer draws a cluster of admirers. With his trademark wide-brimmed pointed hat pulled low and a harmonica in hand, he is often depicted fishing beside his close friend Moomin. His enduring appeal seems rooted in his steadfast devotion to freedom. Author Tove Jansson (1914–2001) once reflected on Snufkin's personality and his inner contradictions. As cited in 'Tove Jansson' by Mayumi Tomihara (1954–2025), a Japanese scholar of French philosophy and Swedish literature, Jansson described the nomadic vagabond as someone who, alongside his longing for freedom, is inevitably drawn to solitude. This disposition, she noted, contains 'a self-centered weakness.' Jansson, a Finnish national, was born into a minority Swedish-speaking family. During World War II, as Finland found itself precariously positioned between two powerful and hostile forces—the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany—she began creating the Moomin characters as a means of escaping the turmoil of those dark and uncertain times. As a longtime reader, I've always been drawn to Snufkin's philosophical yet unpretentious words. In one scene from the Moomin books, he advises his friends to leave behind the gemstones they find in the valley, keeping them instead as memories. 'It's much more fun to keep things in your head than in a suitcase,' the contemplative wanderer says. I've come to believe that Snufkin is a restless traveler because he can only compose poetry and songs when tested by harsh environments. That's why he sets off each year before winter, leaving behind a sorrowful Moomin. He brushes aside sentimentality and embraces solitude with quiet dignity, carrying his ego without apology. There's something profoundly moving in that image. —The Asahi Shimbun, July 23 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
