Mishima, Yukari Red Shiso Drink Concentrate, 340ml
A Cocktail Mixer, Soft Drink Base, and Dessert Sauce in One Bottle
Red shiso concentrate is a Japanese drink syrup made from aka-jiso (赤紫蘇), the deep-purple perilla leaf traditionally used in umeboshi production and as a natural food colourant. Mishima's Yukari® edition — from the brand that dominates Japan's shiso seasoning market — produces a vivid crimson liquid with a tart, herbaceous flavour when diluted with water, soda, or spirits. The 340ml bottle is a concentrate format (希釈タイプ): one part syrup to two parts liquid, making it a versatile back-bar ingredient for cocktails, mocktails, and dessert applications.
Why Bars & Restaurants Choose This
- Natural colour impact: Produces a striking deep pink-red that photographs well and stands out on any drinks menu
- Cocktail versatility: Works with gin, vodka, shochu, and sparkling wine — or as a non-alcoholic base with soda water
- Concentrate format: 1:2 dilution ratio means a single 340ml bottle yields approximately 1 litre of finished drink
- Yukari® pedigree: From Japan's leading shiso brand — consistent quality, recognisable name for Japanese food-literate customers
How to Serve
- Shiso soda: Dilute 1:2 with sparkling water over ice for a refreshing non-alcoholic serve
- Cocktails: Use as a syrup base in highballs, spritzes, or martini variations — pairs naturally with citrus and botanical spirits
- Dessert sauce: Drizzle over panna cotta, yoghurt, or shaved ice for colour and a tart herbal note
- Milk or yoghurt drink: Mix with cold milk for a vivid pink shiso lassi-style drink — popular in Japan as a summer serve
What does red shiso taste like as a drink?
Red shiso has a flavour profile unlike anything in the Western drinks repertoire. It sits somewhere between basil, mint, and cranberry — herbaceous and aromatic with a pronounced tartness and a faint anise undertone. Unlike grenadine or berry syrups, which are primarily sweet, shiso concentrate leads with acidity and herbal complexity, making it closer in function to a shrub or a citrus cordial than a sugar syrup. The colour is entirely natural — anthocyanins in the red perilla leaf produce the vivid pink-crimson without any artificial colouring. For bars looking to build a Japanese-inspired drinks menu beyond sake and whisky, it fills a gap that no other single ingredient covers.
Product Details
| Type | Red Shiso Drink Concentrate (赤しそドリンク — Aka Shiso Drink) |
| Brand | Mishima (Yukari®) |
| Format | Concentrate (希釈タイプ) — dilute before serving |
| Dilution Ratio | 1 part concentrate : 2 parts water, soda, or spirit |
| Volume | 340ml |
| Polyphenols | 290mg per 100ml (as stated on label) |
| Origin | Japan |
| Storage | Refrigerate after opening |
What is red shiso and how is it different from green shiso?
Shiso (perilla) comes in two main varieties. Green shiso (ao-jiso) is the fresh herb served as a garnish with sashimi — bright, minty, and used whole or shredded. Red shiso (aka-jiso) has deep purple leaves with a more intense, tart flavour and is traditionally used to colour and flavour umeboshi pickled plums. The red variety contains high levels of anthocyanins, which give it its vivid colour and make it the preferred base for shiso drinks and concentrates. Green shiso would not produce the same colour or tartness.
What cocktails can you make with red shiso concentrate?
Red shiso works in any cocktail where you want tartness, colour, and herbal complexity. A shiso highball (concentrate, soda, shochu or gin over ice) is the simplest serve. It pairs well with sparkling wine for a Japanese take on a kir royale. For a shiso sour, shake with whisky or vodka, lemon juice, and a touch of simple syrup. It also works as a replacement for grenadine in tiki-style drinks, adding herbal depth where grenadine would only add sweetness. The vivid colour makes it particularly effective in drinks that need visual impact.
Is Yukari the same as the furikake seasoning?
Yukari® is a registered trademark of Mishima Foods, and the brand spans several products. The most widely known is Yukari furikake — the dried red shiso rice seasoning found in virtually every Japanese supermarket. This drink concentrate uses the same red shiso base but in liquid form, designed for dilution rather than sprinkling. Both products share the characteristic tart, herbaceous shiso flavour, but the concentrate is sweeter and intended for beverages and dessert applications rather than as a savoury seasoning.
SKU : s0283