Glass Box’s Local Shito: less is more

My latest craft cocktail discovery comes — somewhat unexpectedly — from a sushi restaurant at the Del Mar Highlands’ Sky Deck. Bartender Jennifer Hamilton explains the name of Glass Box’s popular cocktail, the Local Shito: “We’re using local rum, and shishito pepper — no brainer on that. It’s got a little sweetness, it’s got a little heat — obviously, it’s got a shishito pepper in it, so it’s gonna have just a little bit of spice. But we use a Malahat ginger rum, which has a little bit of sweetness that balances it out,” she notes. “And then we also use some lemon juice and yuzu, which really tie in all those wonderful Asian flavors that we have in our cooking. The cocktail pairs well with a lot of our different dishes.”

Hamilton vouches for the San Diego distillery Malahat, which produces a range of spirits. “We try to support local companies whenever we can; we like to partner with them. And they have an amazing product. They’re all different than anything you’ve ever tasted before.” The ginger rum used here offers flavors of “sweetness from the sugar cane, but it brings that little bit of spice and heat from the ginger into it. So it’s definitely a really unique taste profile.”

Though shishitos are more mild than jalapeños, Hamilton still uses sparing amounts. “They’ve got a little kick to them — I wouldn’t say it’s going to kick you in the face… but you don’t want too much of it.” Rather than blending it up, she opts for slices of pepper to avoid overwhelming the drink. “And then I like to give it a crack with the muddler, just to open up and release those oils and those flavors. Give it a good shake and it will infuse the liquid.”

The Local Shito is neatly presented in a lowball glass and garnished by a skewered shishito that adds a pop of green against the mellow yellow liquid. “One of our main components, our ethos, is simplicity,” says Hamilton. “I think you run into a lot of places where they think ‘more is more.’ We’re very much ‘less is more’ here. If you use the right ingredients, use the right combinations, you don’t need to use 6000 ingredients in your dishes, or in your cocktails. If you have good quality ingredients, it’s going to taste amazing no matter what.”

In conclusion, Hamilton advocates for thinking outside the “box,” and poses the question, “Why can’t you have a good craft cocktail and sushi? I think craft cocktails go with everything, if you use the components correctly.”

• Glass Box’s
• Local Shito
• 2 oz Malahat Ginger Rum
• 1 oz yuzu juice
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2-3 slices of shishito pepper

• Add sliced shishito pepper to the shaker tin and give it a quick muddle with a muddler or spoon. Add all other ingredients to the shaker and add ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a glass filled with ice. Add the remaining shishito pepper as garnish. Enjoy!