*If you like, pin, comment, whatever to this post you are acknowledging that you are legally allowed to drink alcohol in whatever country you inhabit!*

I updated the pictures for this post in August 2018 but the recipe is still the same as it was in 2016!

[Jump to Shiso Simple Syrup Recipe]
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I used to be a bartender between college and graduate school. It taught me three things: 1. I am not a late night person, 2. how to make a room completely dark so you can sleep until noon, and 3. how to make (some less fancy) drinks.

A lot of drinks out there use simple syrup to sweeten them. What is great about simple syrup is that you can infuse it with anything. When I don’t know what to do with an herb or flower or even sometimes a fruit or veggie I make simple syrup. Sometimes it isn’t great, but sometimes it is awesome.

Shiso Simple Syrup is FREAKING AWESOME. What is shiso? Shiso, also known as Perilla or the ancient name of Beefsteak Plant (or apparently I slew of other names…it is one of the few plants I have seen with a names section on Wikipedia), is part of the mint family and is an herb used in many different asian cuisines. Shiso is the Japanese name and is what I call it since I was introduced to it through that cuisine. This year I decided to grow shiso since you can usually only find it in 5 leaf packs at the local Korean Grocery Store (which is not close to me). Turns out I probably needed one plant not five (who knew they grew 3 feet tall???) and I now have shiso coming out my ears. With so much shiso I can do things with it that I never dreamed of before. Shiso simple syrup is one of those things.

Side note: when visiting Japan in July 2018 we got to see shiso fields up close outside of Kyoto by the Sanzen-in temple. The mostly were growing purple shiso there, not the green that I have in the backyard (my purple never sprout for some reason 😞). So cool!

The flavor in this syrup is insane. There is a floral, herbal quality but also this spiciness. It is so hard to explain. All I know is I want to put it in everything: sparkling water, sour beer (tried it in the Avery Brewing Bolder Weisse and OMG), coffee (I am a food blog Mojito Coffee but with syrup and muddled shiso leaves…yes please), sorbet, salad dressing, mixed drinks, and I am sure I will come up for even more!

What mixed drink did I make you ask??? Mr. Physics decided he wanted to make gin and tonics. Hendrick’s has a recipe on their website for a Summer Mule and it inspired me to grab my simple syrup and run with it. Result: Shiso Gin & Tonic!

Shiso Simple Syrup

This recipe is similar to my Lilac Simple Syrup Recipe

1 cup water (½ lb water)
1 cup sugar (½ lb sugar)
1 and ½ tightly packed cups shiso leaves (purple or green)

1. Add equal parts water and sugar to sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Once water and sugar is boiling, add in shiso leaves.
3. Return mixture to boil then turn off the heat and allow to rest with top on for 30 minutes.
4. Remove shiso leaves and store simple syrup in airtight container in fridge until cool.

Shiso Gin & Tonic

Very loosely based on Hendrick’s Summer Mule and General Gin and Tonic Recipe
Makes 1 drink
1 part = 1 shot glass

1 and ½ parts gin
½ part shiso simple syrup
1 or 2 shiso leaves ~ either purple or green
1 inch section of cucumber, cut into 4 pieces
tonic

1. Cut cucumber into 4 slices and place 3 slices in bottom of a shaker with shiso leaves and simple syrup.*
2. Muddle ingredients until cucumber breaks down.
3. Add gin and ice cubes. Shake.
4. Transfer to glass, add a couple more ice cubes and fill with tonic.**
5. Garnish with last cucumber slice.

Notes:

* If you don’t have a shaker that is fine. I use a shaker because it gets the ingredients colder faster but you can always mix the ingredients in the glass itself or separate glass then transfer. In Japan all the bartenders I saw make gin and tonic drinks did not shake them. They put the gin over the ice cubes, stirred, added the tonic, stirred.

**Use as much or as little tonic as you desire. I used smaller glasses here so the tonic amount was closer to 1 or 2 shots worth. Not a lot.

Don’t throw away your shiso leaves after making the simple syrup. Throw them on a food dehydrator and they make awesome candied shiso pieces! Use them as garnish or with dessert and yum.

For a non-alcoholic version of this drink you can use sparkling water rather than tonic. It tastes super delicious but I love the tonic flavor too!

Shiso can be found at most asian grocery stores in the produce section. It is usually sold in packets of leaves. I usually see green versions but sometimes I can find purple. Purple is usually used to make umeboshi or as a garnish. If you can’t get it fresh it also comes in packets of dried leaves. I have never made the simple syrup out of dry leaves but it should be possible, just remember that you probably need only half the amount of dried leaves as fresh.