We had the opportunity to go to San Antonio for their annual Cocktail Conference recently, and one thing I heard a little bit about in the seminars was “redeeming” cocktails from the 1990s, the over-juiced, over-sweetened decade that just about killed cocktails as we know them.

The Kamikaze is a cocktail/shot that got popular during that Dark Decade and I was excited to recently read 12 Bottle Bar‘s redemptive re-do of the recipe in their book. You see, the usual recipe for the Kamikaze is equal parts vodka, lime juice, and triple sec, which is a little bit like a margarita, but the proportions are off-kilter because the booze ratio is half what it should be. Give this one a try and I think you’ll find it balanced, tart, and refreshing:

Kamikaze (12 Bottle Bar version)

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 3/4 oz triple sec
• 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup
• 3/4 oz lime juice
• shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass
• garnish with a lime wedge