How to drink Yuzushu: Easy serving ideas, cocktails & food pairings
- Oct 14, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 7
What is Yuzushu?
Yuzushu is a Japanese citrus liqueur. It is made by macerating yuzu, which usually includes fresh juice and zest, with a base alcohol. This base can be sake, shochu, or a neutral distillate, along with sugar. The result is a bright, sweet-tart liqueur that’s easy to sip. It also serves as a brilliant cocktail ingredient.
Our Reed & Co. Yuzushu is an 11% ABV expression. It is designed to be sipped neat, poured over ice, or used as the citrus backbone for Chuhai and other cocktails.
How do you drink Yuzushu?
Yuzushu is a citrus liqueur made by infusing fresh yuzu with a spirit base and sugar. At Reed & Co, it's made with Australian Shochu. It can be enjoyed chilled, over ice, with soda as a refreshing highball, or used in cocktails. Its bright citrus flavour also makes it an excellent match for seafood, spicy dishes and light desserts.
What does Yuzushu taste like?
Yuzushu has a bright citrus flavour that's sweeter and softer than straight yuzu juice. Expect fresh mandarin, grapefruit and floral notes balanced by gentle sweetness. Unlike many citrus liqueurs, it finishes clean rather than overly sugary, making it equally enjoyable on its own or in cocktails.
What is Yuzu?
Yuzu is a small, highly aromatic East-Asian citrus fruit. Imagine a blend of lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit, all rolled into one intensely perfumed fruit. It is prized for its floral, tart flavor and fragrant oils. Yuzu is widely used in Japanese cooking and cocktails. If you're keen to discover more, we've got a whole blog about it here.
Our Koji Spirits Yuzushu is an 11% ABV expression. It is designed to be sipped neat, poured over ice, or used as the citrus backbone for Chuhai and other cocktails.
Why Yuzushu is so popular
People love Yuzushu because it delivers fresh citrus flavour without the sharp acidity of lemon or grapefruit. It's naturally refreshing, incredibly versatile and works just as well served neat as it does in cocktails.
The versatility of Yuzushu
Yuzushu is not just for cocktails. It can elevate your culinary creations as well. Use it in dressings, marinades, or even desserts. Its unique flavor profile can enhance both sweet and savory dishes.
Food pairing: What to eat with yuzushu
Yuzushu’s citrus and floral oils make it a great match for various dishes.
Dish | Why it works |
Oysters | Bright citrus lifts salinity |
Sushi | Refreshes between bites |
Fried chicken | Cuts richness |
Yakitori | Matches smoky flavours |
Spicy food | Cools chilli heat |
Cheesecake | Balances sweetness |
Seafood & Sashimi: The citrus lifts the flavors of raw fish without overpowering it.
Grilled Chicken or Yakitori: The citrus in Yuzushu cuts through the fat and helps cleanse the palate.
Spicy Dishes: The sweetness of Yuzushu balances the heat in spicy foods.
Light Desserts: Pannacotta, citrus tarts, or almond-based sweets pair beautifully with Yuzushu.
Because Yuzushu is often lower ABV and sweeter than straight spirits, it’s ideal as both an aperitif and an after-dinner digestif.
The best ways to drink Yuzushu
✓ Chilled
✓ Over ice
✓ With soda (Chuhai)
✓ Spritz
✓ Sour
✓ Gin cocktails
✓ Dessert drink
1) Straight / Neat
Serve Yuzushu chilled in a small liqueur glass. Its aromatics are at their best when cold. This is perfect as an aperitif.
2) On the Rocks
Pour Yuzushu over a single large ice cube. As it slowly melts, the aromas open up, making a beautifully balanced after-dinner sip.
3) Yuzushu Chuhai
This is a light, refreshing highball that’s perfect for summer. See our Reed & Co recipe below, or here.
4) As a Cocktail Base
Yuzushu works brilliantly in sours, spritzes, and short cocktails. It supplies both citrus and sweetness in one bottle. Use it instead of lemon syrup and liqueur for quicker, more consistent, and more delicious results.
3 Recipes to Try (Easy, Bar-Friendly)
Yuzushu Chuhai
Serves 1: Tall Glass / Highball
75ml Yuzushu
100ml Soda Water
Ice + Lemon Wheel
Pour Yuzushu over ice, top with soda water, stir once gently, and garnish with lemon.
Yuzu Sour - Our Best Seller
Serves 1: Coupe / DOF Glass
30ml Yuzushu
30ml NEO Yuzu New World Gin
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
15ml Sugar Syrup
Nori & Orange Salt for Rim (Optional)
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard and fine strain into a chilled glass rimmed with nori & orange salt.
Yuzu Highball
Serves 1: Tall Glass / Highball
30ml Shochu (Light Barley or Rice)
30–45ml Yuzushu
Soda Water to Finish
Ice and a Thin Yuzu Peel
Build in a glass, top with bubbles, and garnish.
FAQS
What is Yuzushu?
Yuzushu is a citrus liqueur made by steeping fresh yuzu in a spirit base, usually shochu, before adding sugar. The result is a bright, aromatic liqueur with a balance of sweet and tart citrus flavours.
How do you drink Yuzushu?
Yuzushu is incredibly versatile. It can be enjoyed chilled, served over ice, mixed with soda for a refreshing highball, or used in cocktails like sours and spritzes. It's equally enjoyable as an aperitif or after dinner.
What does Yuzushu taste like?
Yuzushu has a vibrant citrus flavour with notes of mandarin, grapefruit and floral zest. It's sweeter and softer than fresh yuzu juice, with a smooth finish that makes it easy to sip or mix into cocktails.
Is Yuzushu sweet?
Yes, Yuzushu has a natural sweetness that balances the tartness of yuzu. While it's sweeter than straight spirits like gin or shochu, it remains bright and refreshing rather than overly sugary.
Should Yuzushu be served cold?
Yes. Yuzushu is best enjoyed chilled. Serving it straight from the fridge, over ice or with chilled soda highlights its fresh citrus aroma and crisp finish.
What food pairs well with Yuzushu?
Yuzushu pairs beautifully with seafood, grilled chicken, fresh salads, spicy dishes and light desserts. Its bright citrus flavour cuts through rich foods while complementing delicate flavours.
What can you mix with Yuzushu?
Yuzushu works well with soda water, tonic, sparkling wine and citrus-forward spirits like gin. It's also an excellent ingredient in sours, spritzes and refreshing summer cocktails.
Can you cook with Yuzushu?
Yes. Yuzushu can be used in marinades, salad dressings, desserts and sauces, where its citrus flavour adds brightness and complexity without overpowering the dish.
Try Yuzushu at Reed & Co
At Reed & Co. Distillery in Bright, we make Yuzushu using locally grown Mountain Yuzu and Australian Shochu. You can enjoy it neat, in cocktails at Koji Bird, or take a bottle home from our online shop.
If you’re local or visiting Bright, try our Koji Spirits Yuzushu in our Spirit Lab Tasting Room. You can book a tasting here.
Alternatively, order a Yuzushu Chuhai at Koji Bird Restaurant. Bookings here.
Want to add some to your home bar? Order from our online shop. Yuzushu is perfect for gifts and summer picnics.
