Ron ron juice is an alcoholic beverage that originated in Japan, but it’s now enjoyed all over the world.
The Japanese have been making this refreshing cocktail since at least 1878 when they first began adding shochu (a distilled liquor) to their iced tea or watermelon juice.
Shochu is traditionally made by distilling rice wine and other grains like barley, corn, rye, wheat, and buckwheat.
The resulting liquid can be aged up to two years before being bottled into bottles or kegs.
What Is Ron Ron Juice?
Ron rons are similar to sake, but instead of using fermented grain as the main ingredient, they use alcohol from fruits, herbs, flowers, leaves, beans, roots, seeds, bark, nuts, vegetables, and mushrooms.
Shochus also contain additives such as sugar, coloring agents, and flavorings.
These ingredients give each brand its unique taste profile.
For example, one popular type of ronron known as “mizu-shu” contains no added colorants or flavoring agents.
This makes it clear and bright red in appearance, which gives it its name.
On the other hand, some brands produce cloudy ronrons due to the addition of caramel coloring agent.
A common misconception about ron rons is that they must be drunk chilled because of the high alcohol content.
However, most people who consume these drinks don’t actually add ice to them beforehand.
In fact, many prefer to sip on their ronrons straight out of the bottle.
How Do You Make Ron Ron Juice?
To make your own ron ron juice, you need to find some good quality ron ron.
You can use either of these types of ron rons:
- Buckwheat Shochu – A smooth, rich tasting, clear spirit produced from steaming fermented ground buckwheat kernels.
- Rice Wine Shochu – A strong-tasting grain alcohol produced from steaming fermented rice grains.
You can buy pre-made ron ron juice online, which is ideal for those who don’t want to brew their own, but if you prefer to DIY then here are the simple steps you should follow to create your very own batch of homemade ron ron juice:
1. Select Your Equipment
You will need a large pot filled with cold water and a small saucepan filled with ice cubes as well as a strainer or muslin cloth to filter out any impurities in the finished product.
2. Prepare the Ingredients
Add 2 cups of sugar to one cup of boiling water and stir until dissolved.
Once cool, add 1/4 cup of agave syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Put the cooled mixture through a fine sieve or muslin cloth to remove any chunks of fruit.
If you are using fresh pineapple juice, strain it again so there are no chunks left behind.
If your fruit has already been juiced, just put the strained juice back into the fridge to chill overnight.
3. Mix It Up!
Pour the chilled mixture into your large stockpot set on low heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Stir every few minutes while it simmers to ensure it doesn’t burn.
4. Add the Ron Rons
Once your mixture starts bubbling away, take both bottles of ron rons and carefully pour them directly into your simmering hot mix.
Let it steep for a minimum of five hours, stirring occasionally.
After 24 hours, check your mixture for flavor consistency and taste it to see how much longer it needs to steep.
Continue letting it cook and boil for another hour after each additional infusion.
5. Strain and Serve
Strain the final concoction using a strainer or muslin cloth and serve immediately in tall glasses filled with ice.
What Are The Ingredients For Ron Ron Juice?
To create your own homemade ron ron, start out by mixing together equal parts of sugar syrup, and lemonade concentrate.
Next, add 1/4 cup of rum to the mixture.
Finally, pour 3 cups of boiling water over these ingredients and stir until dissolved.
If you want to take things even further, there are several different recipes available online that call for using honey instead of sugar syrup, as well as additional spices such as cinnamon or ginger.
Some people also use agave nectar as a sweetener, while others prefer maple syrup.
For best results, pour your finished mixture into ice-filled glasses and serve immediately!
How Does Ron Ron Juice Taste?
If you’re wondering how ron ron juice tastes, let me tell you what I love about drinking it! It has a sweet flavor from added sugar, which gives it its characteristic sweetness.
But there’s no need to add any artificial sweeteners because ron ron juice also contains natural sugars found in fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, pineapple, oranges, strawberries, grapes, and cherries.
These natural sugars give the drink a nice balance of sweet and sour flavors.
It may sound weird, but ron ron juice actually has less alcohol than some regular drinks, so if you don’t want to get drunk after one sip, you won’t even notice!
And while you might think that the addition of fruit juice would make this drink too runny, it doesn’t! In fact, ron ron juice is thick enough to pour without getting your clothes wet.
And although it isn’t carbonated, it still makes quite a loud fizzing noise when you open the bottle.
Now that you know more about this delightful drink, let’s take a look at where ron ron juice comes from.
What Is The History Of Ron Ron Juice?
In 1965, Dr.
Yoshihiro Takayama was experimenting with different flavors for his homemade tonic water.
He came across some leftover rice wine he had lying around the house and decided to try mixing it with lemonade.
It turned out so well that he started selling it as “Dr.
T’s Lemon-Rice Wine Tonic Water.” Since then, Dr.
T’s has become one of the most popular brands of tonic water available in Japan.
As time went on, people started asking him if he could make something similar using Shochu instead of Rice Wine.
At first, he declined because he didn’t want to take away business from his company, but eventually gave in.
In 1968, Dr.
T’s released its first batch of Ron Rons, which were made with shochu.
Today, there are more than 20 different brands of Ron Rons sold throughout Japan alone.
But not everyone likes them.
Some say that they tend to be too sweet, while others find them overly fruity.
As such, many manufacturers will add artificial fruit flavors to their products to help balance things out.
Ron Rons are also known to contain high levels of alcohol, which makes them a potent mixed drink.
If you’re looking for a less potent alternative, check out these recipes for homemade non-alcoholic drinks!
Where Does Ron Ron Juice Come From?
Rice Wine Shochu was originally produced as a way to preserve food during times where there were no refrigerators.
Today, however, most people enjoy the taste of ron ron juice on its own without having to combine it with anything else.
Although some people prefer to use sugar to sweeten their drinks, others don’t care about sweetness at all.
However, if you want your drink sweeter, try using agave nectar instead of simple syrup or honey.
How Long Has Ron Ron Juice Been Around?
In Japan, where most of the country’s ron ron production takes place, there were only 12 manufacturers producing ron rons until 1980 when there was an explosion of new companies vying for market share.
Today, more than 300 producers produce shochu-based drinks including ron rons, saketinis, and yuzus.
In addition, many countries outside of Japan also make these types of beverages.
One of the best known brands is “Nama Shokuhin” which means “New People’s Liquor” in English.
Nama Shokuhin was founded in 1948 by a group of farmers who wanted to create a non-alcoholic alternative to sake for people living on farms in rural areas during Prohibition.
While Americans may associate ron rons with the United States, they actually got their start in China in 1776 when American colonists smuggled them across the border to fight off British troops.
During World War II, Americans used ron rons as part of their rationing system to help get through the day without alcohol.
What Are Some Interesting Facts About Ron Ron Juice?
First of all, why do people call it “shochu” instead of just calling it “watermelon juice”? Shochu means “distilled liquor” in Japanese.
But what does that mean exactly? It literally translates as “rice-based liquor.” So, technically, shochu isn’t actually any type of alcohol because there aren’t any fermented sugars present.
Instead, it contains many different compounds derived from various types of grain.
In addition to its unique flavor, shochu also tends to contain high amounts of vitamins B1, E, C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, phosphorus, fluoride, sodium, calcium, chloride, and chlorine.
But how did ron ron juice become such a big deal in Japan? Well, let’s take you back to the beginning…
Where Did Ron Rons Come From?
According to one theory, the name “ron ron” was inspired by a famous samurai named Yoshio Torikai who supposedly used to sneak away to his favorite bar whenever he had some free time.
He would order a glass of ron ron while sitting on a stool near the entrance of the bar.
In fact, it’s said that his nickname was “Yoshi-san.”
So, where did ron ron come from? The answer may surprise you! According to another theory, ron ron comes from the word “ron,” which refers to a shortening technique that involves mixing some sugar syrup with carbonated soda pop.
Then, the mixture is put through a pressurized filter to remove excess bubbles and give it a smoother texture.
Another version of this story says that ron ron came from a region called Ronkō in Nagano Prefecture.
There, it’s believed that ron ron was originally created using ingredients like koji, sake, and honey.
Why Is Ron Ron Juice So Popular?
Many people say that ron ron juice was invented in Japan during the Meiji period of history in the late 1800s, while others believe that it came from Korea.
Regardless of where exactly it was created, it has become one of the most well-known drinks around the world.
It’s often served as a mixer with soda pop and beer, and sometimes as a shot mixed with vodka.
It can also be used to make cocktails such as the Moscow Mule and the Bloody Mary.
In addition to its use as a mixer and shooter, ron ron juice is also commonly consumed on hot days because it helps cool down your body temperature.
When you get too warm after working out, drinking ron ron will help bring your body back down to normal.
For those who live in colder climates, ron ron is great for keeping you warm throughout winter months.
One final reason why ron ron juice is so popular is that it only requires five simple ingredients to create.
You just need lemonade and shochu!
What Are Some Different Ways To Enjoy Ron
Here are some of the most common ways you can consume ron ron juice today:
- Drink it on its own as a shot, mixed with soda or tonic
- Mix it with sparkling water to make a spritzer
- Add rum syrup to it for a more complex flavor profile
- Make a margarita using vodka instead of tequila
- Use it as a base ingredient for cocktails like the Singapore sling, cosmopolitan, or Bloody Mary
- Mix it with fruit juices to create a tasty fresh-fruit smoothie
If you want to add some spice to your life, try one of these recipes:
- Spicy lemonade
- Hot toddy
- Bloody mary
- Gin & Tonic
You can also find many other recipes online for how to mix ron ron juice with various ingredients, including honey, ginger, mint, lime, cucumber, pineapple, orange, and even coffee!
Ingredients
- 8 cups seedless watermelon
- 1 cups cranberry juice
- 1 cups blueberries
- 12 ounce jar maraschino cherries
- 1 ⁄4cups vodka
- 4 cups ice
Instructions
- Smoothly combine all ingredients in a blender. You might need to work in batches depending on the size of the blender.
- Add liquid to glasses.
- To taste, put more vodka over top.
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My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.