Folks, we have made it! Spring is officially in the air! Every spring, Portland graces us with blooms and blossoms that fill the city with their gentle, sweet fragrances. It’s a sign that we’ve made it through winter and warm weather is on its way. Walk down almost any street in your neighborhood and you'll find fresh growth on a bountiful assortment of edible herbs, plants, and flowers. Doug fir tips beg to be plucked, english daisies pop up throughout parks and fields, and borage makes its way back into our gardens year after year. But, as most Portlanders can agree, cherry blossom season in the PNW is Mother Nature's chef's kiss!
The delicate blooms of the cherry tree, often celebrated in Japanese hanami festivals, aren’t just beautiful to behold; they’re also a surprising and delightful addition to your spring cocktail toolkit. For the adventurous home bartender, cherry blossoms offer an elegant way to infuse seasonal flair into your drinks. Their light, floral aroma and subtle almond-like flavor can bring a gentle complexity to cocktails that’s both refreshing and refined. So if you’re the type to geek out over a new tincture or get giddy over garnishes, this one’s for you.
Every year tufts of beautiful, aromatic flowers burst from branches throughout the city, filling observers with a visual spectacle of an assortment of pastel pinks and whites. First up, you’ll need to source your blossoms. Many farmers markets and specialty grocers carry cherry blossoms during the brief blooming season– typically March to April, depending on your region. Look for varieties labeled edible or culinary-grade, or ask your grocer if the flowers are pesticide-free and safe for consumption.
If you’re harvesting from a backyard tree, triple-check that it’s a true cherry blossom tree and that it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. When in doubt, skip it—only use blossoms you can verify as safe to consume.
With a small pair of scissors and a paper bag, snip a few flowers from trees growing here and there. It’s a wonderful way to make a mental map of where, in due time, cherries will grow later in the season. But for now, it’s all about the flowers. Because their time is fleeting, gather up a lunch-sized paper bag and fill it to the brim with these beautiful florets.
Cherry Blossom Syrup
A simple syrup is one of the easiest and most versatile ways to incorporate cherry blossoms into cocktails. Simple syrup will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge. Use it in place of simple syrup in a gin sour or a floral riff on a Tom Collins.
- In a pot, combine 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water.
- Get the solution slightly warm— just enough to melt the sugar into the water and then cool.
- Once cool, add 4 cups of loose (do not pack) cherry blossoms.
- Chill in the fridge overnight, and then strain out the blossoms. You’ll get a light pink syrup with an aroma reminiscent of spring itself.
Gin Blossom
Paired with New Deal’s Gin No. 1, which boasts flavors of lemon peel and a gentle touch of juniper, the delicately perfumed cherry blossom simple syrup makes cocktails shine. A favorite go-to spring cocktail is a floral take on a gin martini. It’s got just enough kick to keep you warm, but its gentle aroma and softness on the palate will keep you coming back for more.
- 1 ¾ oz New Deal Gin No. 1
- ¼ oz cherry blossom syrup
- 3 hearty dashes orange bitters
- 1 cherry blossom for garnish
Gently stir all ingredients with ice for 8-10 seconds and fine strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry blossom and a long walk.
Ice Cube & Garnishes
For easy visual impact, freeze clean petals into ice cubes for a floral twist in your standard rocks glass. Or, float a single blossom on top of a coupe for instant seasonal drama—no extra mixing required. Cheers to making the most of the season—one bloom at a time.
