Haamonii (harmony) Shochu » Haamonii Likes…

Welcome to our newest account: Pacific Catch!

Clair — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:29:11 +0000

Thank you to the good people at Pacific Catch- Campbell and Pacific Catch-Corte Madera for picking us up! We love new locations, because then we get to love on the awesome places we have the privilege to call clients. Check out these awesome cocktails featuring Haamonii!

And here they are in action:

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Harmony for the Holidays 2011!

Clair — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:05:39 +0000

Wow. A year comes and goes so quickly.. it amazes me that it is even December, let alone almost the Holiday season! It feels like just yesterday I was sitting down to write about the Crunk Candy Cane and sharing with you what the holidays mean to me.

Lots of changes have been going on here at Haamonii, many for the better. We’ve made new friends, opened new accounts, and changed perspectives– but our bottom line hasn’t.. bringing a little harmony and a great American-made product to as many people as we can.

This holiday season I’m feeling particularly grateful for the wonderful opportunities I’ve been given– life is pretty great for me. I’m also distinctly aware that life is not so great for many, many people. So I’ve dedicated my holiday season to giving back to those in need, in any way that I can.

I urge you to do the same. Here at Haamonii we say “always pour for others,” and there isn’t a better season to put that into action than now.

Happy Holidays from the Haamonii team. We wish you the absolute best this holiday season– may these next few weeks be full of joy, laughter, prosperity, and little Harmony.

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: Shirley Temple, beloved by kids and (now) adults alike

Clair — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:38:26 +0000

I was recently reminded that I adore Shirley Temples, a childhood favorite of mine that I haven’t thought of in years. I quite impulsively went out and immediately purchased the necessary ingredients for Shirley Temples: 7-Up, Grenadine, and Maraschino cherries. I anxiously mixed up this concoction and dove in.. unfortunately to be disappointed in a similar way to when I tried to eat pop-tarts, spaghetti-os, and Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese after having “grown up.” But I wasn’t willing to let this thing that I loved so much go quietly into the night. No no. I have since come up with a second Golden Rule:

Everything is better when it’s spiked!

I also went out and found some grenadine that isn’t reddish-colored corn syrup with some citric acid and “flavors.” Stirrings Grenadine is made of real crushed pomegranate seeds. It makes a significant difference, believe you-me.

Without further ado, here it is:

Haamonii Shirley Temple, Not Just for Kids Anymore
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
2 oz Haamonii Smooth Shochu
1 oz Stirrings Grenadine
3 oz 7-Up Diet Soda
2 Maraschino Cherries

In a tall glass, pour the Haamonii Shochu over ice. Top with grenadine. Drop in cherries, pour the Diet 7-Up Soda over the cherries. Garnish with swivel stick or tall spoon for stirring.

Only 85 calories in this awesome throw back cocktail, as compared to 180 when made with premium vodka and regular soda.

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii (harmony) Hour: Smooth as velvet and tastes like spring!

Clair — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:51:09 +0000

Spring has officially sprung in San Francisco. Everything is green instead of brown, flowers are blooming, and it’s 60 degrees outside instead of 40. Berries are also coming into season, which means walking past the corner produce market is torturous, due to the ripe berries sending out their tentacles of delicious smells to hook the unwary passersby.

For this week’s cocktail, I broke down and gave into the berries. Raspberries, specifically.

Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved Lindemann’s Framboise Lambic beer. It was the first “beer” I was ever able to drink and there is something about it’s deep pinkish purple color that draws me in. I also promised a reader a few weeks ago to follow up my “Seppuku Bomb” with something beer-based that was a little less “frat boy” and a little more “day in the park.”

I came up with this. Hope you enjoy!

The Haamonii Red Velvet
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz Haamonii Smooth Shochu
1 oz Haamonii Smooth Lemon
3 oz Framboise Lambic Beer (raspberry Belgian), chilled
2 oz Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled
.5 oz Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
5 ripe raspberries

In a tall glass, pour in both measures of Haamonii Shochu and the Chambord Liqueur. Drop in the raspberries and muddle until crushed. Pour in lambic beer, mix with bar spoon. Float sparkling wine on top. Garnish with more raspberries or as desired.

Only 165 calories in this sweet springtime cocktail as compared to 290 calories when made with premium vodka.

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: Sickness=Grumpy

Clair — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:03:03 +0000

This week’s cocktail is inspired by my current fight against an upper respiratory bug and scratchy throat. It’s not so bad as to be completely debilitating, but plenty bad enough to be damn irritating. Being sick/not running at 100% makes me endlessly grumpy (I readily admit to it).

So I was trying to decide what to make for this week’s cocktail, and I was irritated because all I’ve been able to drink/taste/smell for the past several days has been hot tea. I decided to try and create a cocktail that would make me feel better (amazingly enough, I actually succeeded) and thus begot a cocktail that combines the power of tea and alcohol to soothe a ragged throat (and spirit). Additionally, it doesn’t taste like those god-awful concoctions my grandfather used to make me drink (bonus!). So drink up and celebrate (temporarily) grump-tastic folks like me with this week’s cocktail.

The Haamonii Shochu Grumpy Old Man
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
2 oz Haamonii Smooth Shochu
2 oz Numi Puerh Black Tea
1/2 oz Kaluha
1/2 oz 1% Milk

In a glass of your choosing, pour the Haamonii Shochu and Puerh tea over ice. Measure in the Kaluha first and the milk as the last layer. Serve with a swivel stick for stirring!

Only 165 calories in this delicious, spirit-lifting cocktail as compared to 260 calories when made with premium vodka.

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: San Francisco’s answer to the Harvard Cooler

Clair — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:05:43 +0000

This week’s cocktail was inspired by the gorgeous weather in San Francisco and the possibility of a picnic in the near future. My friends requested a cocktail that would be appropriate for a picnic, and so I went looking for something interesting. I came across the “Harvard Cooler,” a brandy-and-lemon concoction that is apparently rather popular in Japanese bars, and I’m sure you all are aware of our love for Izakaya.

I decided I wanted to San Francisco-ize this East coast cocktail and make it something worthy of a picnic in Golden Gate park or Baker Beach. Tart, refreshing, and bubbly, everything I’d want to sip on in the sunshine.

The City College of San Francisco Cooler (where everyone is welcome)
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz Haamonii Smooth Lemon
1 oz Calvados or other Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Meyer Lemon Juice
3 oz Club Soda
Grenadine
Lemon Twist

In a tall, chilled glass, pour the Haamonii Lemon, Calvados, and lemon juice over ice. Stir with cocktail spoon to combine. Pour club soda over the lemon mixture. Float a few dashes of grenadine over the top of the cocktail to taste. Serve with a twist of lemon. Alternately, forgo the club soda and serve chilled.

Only 150 calories in this delicious spring-has-sprung cocktail as compared to 240 calories when made with premium vodka.

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Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: Suddenly… Heat.

Clair — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:06:12 +0000

Today’s cocktail was inspired by a recent trip with friends to a favorite Mexican restaurant of mine. I was seated on the patio, and for the first time in months, the weather was nice enough to not need a scarf, gloves, jacket, boots, etc. I had a delicious, smokey grapefruit cocktail that I adored, and decided I wanted to recreate Haamonii-style.

I was headed to the grocery to get my grapefruits when I was (quite literally) smacked in the face by the scent of ripe strawberries (not many better smells exist, in my opinion). I then remembered that strawberries were just coming into season and decided I absolutely HAD to include them. Lucky for you, I think their addition accentuates the awesome, unique smokey quality that this cocktails has.

It is doubly perfect because yesterday was a typical, blustery San Francisco day, but today it is 8 zillion degrees and sunny, the perfect weather for a cocktail like this.

I hope this cocktail invokes a hot summer day for those pining for warm weather, and refreshes those dealing with the heat.

M-, m-, m-, my Paloma
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

3 oz Haamonii Smooth
Juice from 1 Ruby Grapefruit, skin reserved for garnish
3 ripe Strawberries
1/8 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

In a two piece shaker, muddle the strawberries until they release their juices. Pour fresh grapefruit juice and Haamonii over the strawberries. Add smoked paprika. Add ice, shake until very chilled. Strain into glass of your choice, garnish with grapefruit twist. Alternately, serve with fruit pieces over ice.

About 130 calories in this sweet summertime cocktail compared to 315 calories when made with top shelf tequila.

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: Mimosas- Not just for brunch anymore.

Clair — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:06:23 +0000

I love Mimosas. Actually, I adore Mimosas. Does that make me a 67-year-old woman out to brunch? Absolutely not. I’ve always been of the opinion that the very limited availability of the Mimosa is entirely unfair to those of us who actually enjoy drinking these delicious, simple concoctions on a pretty regular basis; most certainly more often than the once-in-a-blue-moon brunch excursion with girlfriends.

This week’s cocktail is my answer to the discrimination against the Mimosa; my own personal rebellion against only being allowed to have this sweet, invigorating beverage between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

It also happens to be full of spring-like flavors, which is particularly appropriate as the Bay area (and beyond!) begins to open up and blossom. It’s nice to see the sun again! Take this cocktail outside for the first picnic of the season.

The Anti-Brunch Mimosa
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients
3 oz Haamonii Lemon Shochu
1 oz Champagne (I used Sofia Blanc de Blancs)
5-6 ripe Kumquats, halved
1 stalk Lemon grass, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon chopped candied ginger

In a shaker, muddle the kumquats, candied ginger, and lemongrass together until the kumquats have released their juices. Add ice and the Haamonii Lemon, shake vigorously. Strain into a champagne flute over a little ice. Pull a few pieces of kumquat and ginger from the shaker and drop into the cocktail. Float the champagne on top, garnish as desired.

Approximately 140 calories in this light, refreshing cocktail!

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: Watermelon, Like Woah.

Clair — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:02:36 +0000

This week’s cocktail was inspired by a trip to an awesome new restaurant over the weekend. Namu, a Korean-New Californian fusion place, was an awesome experience for all 5 senses and featured some delicious flavor pairings that I wouldn’t have even dreamed of trying together. Until I came here. I learned many new things, but also a new golden rule:

Everything is better when it’s spicy.

This new culinary adventure I went on got me thinking about cocktails and how I could apply what I learned to the process of creating new and interesting things to drink. I decided I would try to step outside the box of flavors I am familiar and comfy with. While I was looking around in my local produce market, I immediately keyed in on the bright, shiny new watermelons that had just come in (I don’t really eat watermelon, the texture wigs me out). I grabbed one. I decided I should also follow my new golden rule and picked up some chili peppers, and randomly decided mint was a good idea. Failing was a distinct possibility, but I said “Meh. Let’s roll with it.”

What I came up with is surprisingly awesome. The flavors work together incredibly well and it is definitely not a “run of the mill” cocktail. Also? Super low calorie! Also? Quite pretty and easy to make [read: impress your date!]. Enjoy (and let me know if you hate it)!

The Haamonii Watermelon, Like Woah.
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
3 oz Haamonii Smooth Original
1/2 oz Haamonii Smooth Lemon
2 oz strained, fresh Watermelon juice (strain if you hate the graininess. If you don’t care, save yourself the trouble)
1 oz Pellegrino, chilled
3 sprigs fresh Mint, 2 for muddling, 1 for garnish
1 Serrano Chili, seeds removed. 1/2 minced, the other for garnishing.

In a large shaker, muddle 2 sprigs of mint with the minced Serrano chili. Add ice to shaker and pour in both Haamonii measures and the watermelon juice. Shake well. Rub the rim of a large cocktail glass (margarita, etc) with the reserved Serrano half. Strain the cocktail into the glass, drop in the reserved Serrano chili half, and float the 1 oz of sparkling water on top. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig if desired!

Approximately 145 calories in this gorgeous, interesting cocktail as compared to 265 when made with top shelf vodka.

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Weekly Low Calorie Haamonii Hour: Happy Cocktail is Happy

Clair — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:10:51 +0000

This week’s cocktail is pretty awesome, I’m not going to lie. I was very pleased by the result, especially after the pain I underwent (in true San Francisco style, details follow) to make it happen. I’d mentioned in previous posts how I try to get inspired for Haamonii cocktails by fresh produce, and this week’s ingredient couldn’t get much fresher: Prickly Pears I urban-foraged/harvested [read: borrowed/stole] from my neighbor’s cactus.

I’m from the Midwest. We don’t have cacti, let alone the Prickly Pear variety. So, in a moment of pure wisdom and zeal, I “harvested” the Prickly Pears. Bare-handed. I would not recommend this technique for the harvesting of cacti, especially ones with sharp, hurt-ey micro-needles. Lucky for you, prickly pears can be procured at many groceries already de-needled, so you can avoid the pain of tiny filaments poking up your fingers.

Needless to say, after the above, I was ecstatic when this week’s cocktail came out beautiful, simple, delicious, and incredibly good for you (so says research). Prickly Pears are a gorgeous, deeply pigmented magenta color on the inside and maintain that color when mixed, and are also an up-and-coming “super food” incredibly high in very important nutrients. It’s also been used for generations as a folk remedy in the Southwest for everything from fresh cuts to glaucoma, and is actually under trial presently as an option to treat diabetes.

I made my Prickly Pear sauce from scratch, though pre-made syrups and liqueurs are available and would also work, though reduce the amount by 1T as a pre-made will be more heavily concentrated.

Happy Cocktail is Happy
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

3 oz Haamonii Smooth Shochu
2 oz Your Favorite Sparking Water
3 T Prickly Pear Sauce (recipe follows)

Fill a tumbler about 3/4 with ice. Spoon the 3 tablespoons of Prickly Pear Sauce over the ice. Pour the Haamonii Smooth over the sauce and stir a few times to combine. Finish the cocktail with sparkling water and garnish!

Only about 165 calories in this gorgeous cocktail as compared to 300 when made with premium vodka!

To Make the Prickly Pear Sauce
Yield: 8 Tablespoons

Ingredients:

6 medium-sized, ripe Prickly Pears (a little larger than a kiwi, should be firm but give to the touch with no black spots)
1 small blood orange, juiced
8 T raw sugar

1. Take your de-needled prickly pears (if not de-needled, WEAR GLOVES and roll pricklys around in salt/sugar vigorously and then give them a quick wipe down with a paper towel) and remove the skins. I found the skin to be quite tough, but using a plain veggie peeler and wiggling it back and forth while I pulled made it very easy. After you have removed the skins, chop into pieces and throw into a food processor.

2. On HIGH, puree until quite smooth (seeds will remain).

3. Using a metal sieve on top of a mixing bowl, push the prickly pear mash through the sieve using a rubber spatula. This will remove the seeds and the bigger chunks that you don’t want.

4. Dump the strained mash into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the blood orange juice and the raw sugar. Bring slowly to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and use!

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