Domo Arigato (Mezcal and Ginger Cocktail) Recipe

A bright and spicy mezcal cocktail made with ginger and a few drops of sesame oil.

Updated June 30, 2023

Overhead view of domo arigato cocktails next to a vintage ice cube tray. — Serious Eats / Kelly Puleio

Why It Works

Just a couple drops of sesame oil add an intriguing nutty, savory note.
Fresh ginger juice (not bottled) adds a fresh peppery blast.

It may sound really out-there to use sesame oil in a cocktail, but this fantastic drink, created by Ran Duan of the Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden in Woburn, Massachusetts, is delicately spicy, tart, and just subtly savory. If you’ve never made cocktails with mezcal, this is a great place to start.

Just be sure to use fresh ginger juice, since sugary ginger syrup or acrid bottled juice will throw the drink out of whack. If you don’t have a juicer or a friendly local juice shop, you can muddle some chopped ginger or grate it with a Microplane, then press it against a fine-mesh strainer to get the liquid out; or grind your peeled, sliced ginger in a blender or food processor before straining. If you’re making the drink for guests, prep the ginger juice up to one hour in advance and store in your fridge.

Reprinted from The One-Bottle Cocktail: More Than 80 Recipes With Fresh Ingredients and a Single Spirit with permission from Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Ginger and Sesame Combine in This Spicy-Tart Mezcal Cocktail

April 2018

Recipe Details

Domo Arigato (Mezcal and Ginger Cocktail) Recipe

Active 5 mins

Total 5 mins

Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

2 ounces (60ml) mezcal
1 ounce (30ml) simple syrup (see note)
3/4 ounce (22ml) fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce plus 1 teaspoon (13ml) fresh ginger juice
2 drops toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 ounces (45ml) chilled club soda

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, combine mezcal, simple syrup, lime juice, ginger juice, and sesame oil in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Unseal shaker and add club soda. Strain into an ice-filled collins glass.

Special Equipment

Cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer

Notes

To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
185	Calories
0g	Fat
21g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories	185
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 2mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 21g	8%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 7mg	34%
Calcium 11mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 35mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.