Cherry Blossom-tini

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/22/21
Cherry Blossom TIni
Tom Grill / The Image Bank / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Sweet and delicate, the cherry blossom-tini is a sake-induced cosmopolitan. Ideal for spring and summer parties, the cocktail offers a light cranberry flavor, making it perfect for brunch, showers, and any casual, yet elegant, occasion.

Mixologist Allen Katz created this cocktail for Gekkeikan Sake and it simply replaces the cosmo's vodka with sake. The triple sec (e.g., Cointreau), cranberry juice, and lime juice from that cocktail remain, so it's both familiar and slightly different.

You'll also find that this is an excellent dinner cocktail. It's crisp, gently fruity, and refreshing and pairs well with a variety of foods. Of course, if Japanese cuisine is on the menu, it's a perfect choice.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the sake, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice, and bitters. Fill with ice.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  5. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • All sake is not created the same. There are various grades and styles of sake to explore and the selection is almost as complicated as choosing vodka. Even a brand like Gekkeikan offers a variety of expressions, so try this cocktail with a few different sakes to discover which you enjoy most.
  • If you're going to replace Cointreau with another orange liqueur, ensure it's equal in quality to the premium triple sec. You might want to avoid brandy-based options like Grand Marnier because it can be too heavy for this particular drink.
  • For a splash of fresh lime, simply squeeze the juice from a lime wedge directly into your shaker.
  • Serving this cocktail in a chilled glass keeps it cold longer and is highly recommended. For a quick chill, simply place a few ice cubes in the glass while you're shaking the drink, then discard them before straining.

Recipe Variations

  • As with the cosmo, adjust the cranberry juice to suit your taste. The recommended pour creates a slightly dry cocktail, while a little extra juice (up to 1 ounce) will produce a sweeter drink.
  • You can also pour white cranberry juice. It tends to be less sweet and not as heavily flavored as the standard red variety.
  • Adding more lime juice is not a bad idea either. The cosmo uses 1/2 ounce, which you can typically get from half a lime, and the extra citrus adds a nice boost to the drink's flavor.

How Strong Is a Cherry Blossom Tini?

Sake is generally a little lighter than vodka, so that helps bring this cocktail's strength down, though it's not significant. Generally, the cherry blossom-tini shakes up to 19 percent ABV (36 proof), which is just a few points below the original cosmo.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
106 Calories
0g Fat
9g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 106
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg 46%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 40mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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