Into the mix of Italian restaurants in the North End is Crudo on Salem Street, which opened this summer. The Japanese restaurant has a sharp emphasis on sake (over 30 in its current selection), Japanese beers, and a list of clever Asian-inspired cocktails by general manager Jameson Visconte. One of the bar’s great features is its use of cordials, which are integrated with sakes that range from ginjo, nigori, to super-premium varieties. A timely selection off the bar menu is the Social Mule, a twist on the now-classic Moscow Mule, made with organic ginjo sake (“ginjo” is known for its crisp, clean taste), cucumber vodka, and ginger syrup. It’s easy drinking, refreshing, and more complex than the original without becoming too complicated to enjoy.
Social Mule
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Makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce ginjo sake
2 ounces cucumber vodka
½ ounce ginger liqueur
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 ounces of ginger beer (to top off)
1 slice lime (for garnish)
1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the sake, vodka, liqueur, and lime juice. Add ice and shake well until chilled and diluted.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice and top off with ginger beer. Garnish with lime. Adapted from Crudo
A previous version of this story misidentified the opening date of Crudo. It was this summer.