The Cherry Blossom

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Cocktail History

The Cherry Blossom is a spring cocktail that was created by Jay and Leah Hall the Gastronom Cocktails blog. The drink was inspired by the famous Japanese cherry blossom festival, and it pairs its spirits, sake and gin, with tart cherry, pomegranate, and citrus to create a seasonal cocktail that lives up to its name in taste.

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Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sake: This is a spirit made in Japan with fermented rice, koji, yeast, and water. I used TYKU Junmai Sake.

Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with Maraschino cherries, honey, herbs, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Luxardo Maraschino Orginale Liqueur.

Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Suntory Roku Japanese Gin.

Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. I used Cointreau.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Cherry: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. I used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries.

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Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the KingSeal Bamboo Knot Cocktail Pick Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant red-pink color

• Aroma: Sweet cherry and gin

• Taste: Predominant cherry flavor combined with sake, botanicals, and tart lemon

• Finish: Juniper and more fruit notes

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "I cannot imagine an ode to cherries in cocktail form being more tasty than this recipe. The cherry flavor is front and center, which may make The Cherry Blossom a touch too sweet for the discerning drinker, but it does still manage to maintain an air of sophistication that many sweet cherry drinks don’t. I also really liked that it used sake as its base to stay true to the theme. I can absolutely see this being a popular drink among the ladies at a local bar during the springtime."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Gastronom Cocktails, a blog by Jay and Leah Hall.