What better way to beat the heat in Tokyo than with shochu on the rocks. Or how about a popsicle? Better yet, combine the two! A friend recently posted on facebook a cocktail that he had out at a local izakaya. This blue popsicle is called Garigari-kun. He was very popular in the 80’s and is making a come back now. It’s sweet, like syrup.

The cocktail itself is quite easy. Shochu on the rocks in a large beer mug. The regular shochu cups are too small to hold the popsicle. Add a Garigari-kun (or your favorite popsicle) and let it melt a bit.

Once it starts melting I used the popsicle stick to break up the popsicle stick. It turned out to be a nice slushee. Actually one popsicle didn’t add enough flavor to the drink so I added a second one. Kome (rice) shochu or a kokuto (brown sugar) shochu is ideal for this drink.

I hope this inspires you to make your own cocktails at home!