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Cocktail History
The Cherry Blossom is a modern 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 springtime cocktail that lives up to its name in taste.
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. We used TYKU Junmai Sake because it’s high quality with smooth and soft sake flavors. For a mocktail version of this drink, try amazake in place of the sake.
Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with Maraschino cherries, honey, herbs, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Luxardo Maraschino Orginale Liqueur because it has a distinct earthy aroma and sweet cherry flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Trader Vic’s Premium Maraschino Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur.
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Suntory Roku Japanese Gin because its exceptionally complex thanks to its six Japanese botanicals. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. We used Cointreau because it’s one of the highest quality orange liqueurs on the market. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Orange Sec Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the orange liqueur.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Cherry: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. We used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries because they’re high quality and delicious.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We 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. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We 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. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the KingSeal Bamboo Knot Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Cherry Blossom features aromas of gin and sweet cherry and has a predominantly sweet taste that combines a unique forefront of sake followed by a strong cherry note, all chased down with an array of gin botanicals and more of the sweet fruit taste.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although we both agreed that its sweetness was a little overbearing, Kendall definitely enjoyed this take on the blossoming springtime flower and would make it again; meanwhile, Alex respected the Cherry Blossom for its inspiration but found it to be a little 𝘵𝘰𝘰 sweet for his palate.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“When we made Jay’s and Leah’s original recipe, we found the cherry flavor to be pretty overwhelming because it contained a full ounce of their chosen cherry liqueur. We went with Luxardo but dialed it back. To make up for the sweetness we lost (and to closer mimic the color of their original), we upped the grenadine instead. The result was pretty tasty, and although it was still very cherry-forward and a little too sweet for my palate, I felt its name was fitting.”—
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 see this being a popular drink among the ladies at a local bar during the springtime, for sure.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Gastronom Cocktails, a blog by Jay and Leah Hall.
Add sake, maraschino liqueur, gin, triple sec, grenadine, lemon juice, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with cherry.
Ingredients
Directions
Add sake, maraschino liqueur, gin, triple sec, grenadine, lemon juice, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with cherry.
Make It a Mocktail: Use amazake in place of the sake, Trader Vic’s Premium Maraschino Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur, MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, and Lyre’s Orange Sec Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the orange liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Spring Cocktails
If you like this spring-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Wild Rose: A tequila and dry sparkling wine cocktail made with pineapple gum syrup, maraschino liqueur, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a orange twist
Tequila Honeysuckle: A tequila cocktail made with honey syrup, lime juice, and a lime slice
Mountaintop Meadow: A vodka cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, lavender bitters, dry sparkling wine, a pineapple wedge, and mint
The Parasol: A sparkling wine cocktail made with lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup, and a lemon twist
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