Cocktails for Cherry Blossom Season

In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms are more than beautiful flowers. Their short life—their season lasts about two weeks—exemplifies impermanence, reminding us to cherish the present. The flowers also symbolize renewal and hope.

Crafted with cherry blossom season in mind, the cocktails below feature floral notes and the varied flavors of Japanese whisky. From a silky Sour to complex stirred drinks to a refreshing Highball, they'll encourage you to slow down, be present, and savor the moment before it slips away.

Gingko Leaf

Created by Francisco Villanueva, bar manager, The Drey Hotel, Dallas

“This drink is a perfect blend of creaminess with slight bitterness balanced with tropical flavors,” Villanueva says. “It’s like a nice tea during the spring with crisp floral notes.”

• 1 1/4 oz. Nikka Coffey Malt (or other Japanese malt)
• 1/2 oz. Crème de Moka coffee liqueur
• 1/2 oz. crème de banane
• 1/4 oz. coconut syrup (recipe below)
• 1 dash cardamom bitters
• 1 dash tobacco bitters
• banana leaf (about 4 1/2-inch strip) for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 6 to 8 seconds. Strain over a large cube in a double rocks glass and garnish with banana leaf.

Coconut Syrup

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast coconut flakes until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes, then strain into a glass mason jar. Keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Hanami Highball

Created by Joshua Alden, bartender, Bandista, Houston

Named for the Japanese tradition of viewing flowers in the spring, this crisp, multilayered Highball is filled with the cherry and nutty accents of a cherry blossom.

• 1 3/4 oz. Nikka Days (or other Japanese blend)
• 1/2 oz. Campari
• 1/2 oz. Tempus Fugit Crème de Noyaux
• 1/4 oz. salted syrup (recipe below)
• 1/8 oz. rose water
• 2-3 oz. Fever Tree sparkling lime and yuzu (or any dry citrus soda)
• lemon zest and edible flower for garnish

Place a large cube in a rocks glass. Add whisky, Campari, liqueurs, syrup, and rose water. Top with soda, then stir 3 to 4 times. Garnish with lemon zest and edible flower.

Salted Syrup

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a small pot over low to medium heat. Stir until sugar and salt have dissolved, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and transfer to an airtight container. Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Jade Garden Sour

Created by Heather Blanchard, lead bartender, Virgin Hotels New Orleans

Silky and lightly earthy, this Sour feels like early spring in Japan: fresh, bright, and a little bit serene, Blanchard says.

• 1 1/2 oz. Hibiki Japanese Harmony (or other Japanese blend)
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz. zen blossom syrup (recipe below)
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 1 egg white
• dried cherry blossom for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake for 8 to 10 seconds. Add ice and shake for another 10 to 12 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Allow foam to settle, then garnish with cherry blossom.

Zen Blossom Syrup

• 1/2 cup warm water (about 150°F)
• 1 tsp. matcha powder
• 1/4 tsp. sakura (dried cherry blossom) powder
• 1/4 cup honey

In a small bowl, whisk water, matcha, and sakura powder until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add honey and whisk 10 seconds to combine. Cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Letter From the Emperor

Created by Wilson Brannock, managing partner, Noko Hospitality, Nashville

Okinawan brown sugar lends more body and a deeper richness to this Old Fashioned. “It's a little more spirit-forward, which makes it perfect for some of the cooler nights during cherry blossom season,” Brannock says.

• 2 oz. Hibiki Japanese Harmony (or other Japanese blend)
• 1/2 oz. kokuto syrup (recipe below)
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 2 dashes cherry blossom bitters
• orange twist for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds. Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with orange twist.

Kokuto Syrup

• 1/2 cup kokuto sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Combine kokuto and water in a small pot over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, then stir until sugar is dissolved, about 45 seconds. Remove from heat, cool, and transfer to an airtight container. Store refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Sakura Season

Created by Eli Yee, lead bartender, Camélia, Los Angeles

“This composed and structured drink blossoms on the palate in soft but meaningful ways,” Yee says. “The whisky’s soft orchard notes and the ripe ume bloom gently, while subtle cherry, citrus oils, and salted sakura bitters help highlight the florality and complexity of cherry blossoms.

• 2 oz. Nikka Miyagikyo (or other Japanese single malt)
• 1/4 oz. Heiwa Shuzo Tsuru-Ume Kanjuku (or other umeshu)
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
• 1/4 oz. Lillet Blanc
• 5 drops 20% saline solution (recipe below)
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 dash The Japanese Bitters Sakura bitters
• lemon twist and orange twist for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 7 seconds. Strain over a large rock in a rocks glass. Express lemon and orange twists over top, then place in cocktail as garnish.

Saline Solution

• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1/4 cup room-temperature filtered water

In a bowl, stir ingredients until dissolved, about 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to a dropper bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Sail’er Inn

Created by Ali Martin, partner and cocktail program director, The Up & Up, New York City

This delicate yet complex cocktail “walks a perfect line between soft and assertive,” Martin says. It's bright, floral, and satisfying.

• 1 1/4 oz. Suntory Toki (or other Japanese blend)
• 3/4 oz. Salers Aperitif
• 1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
• 1/2 oz. Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto
• 16 dashes Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit bitters
• 2 drops saline solution (recipe below)
• lemon twist for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled, about 25 seconds. Julep strain over a large rock in a chilled double-rocks glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Saline Solution

• 1 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup water

In a bowl, stir ingredients until dissolved, about 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to a dropper bottle. Keep refrigerated up to 1 month.