Atlanta, GA
Where to drink cherry blossom-inspired cocktails around Atlanta
These 8 metro area establishments are celebrating the brief, beautiful sakura season.
The Bee and Blossom martini at Capolinea celebrates the blooming of spring’s first cherry blossoms and the bees responsible for the beauty. (Courtesy of Bites and Bevs Media)
By Angela Hansberger – For the AJC
3 hours ago
The fleeting Georgia cherry blossoms reach peak bloom in mid- to late March. One day Atlanta is winter-drab, and the next it’s buried under drifts of floral confetti, the blush of pink so pretty it demands we pay attention. There is a bit of romanticism that arrives with the sakura (Japanese for “cherry blossom”); a petal-strewn urgency to witness beauty so brief. Fortunately, Atlanta’s best bartenders are capturing the floral spirit so we can hold on to the ephemeral in-bloom moment just a little longer.
Lucky Star’s Murphey White designed the aromatic Bouquet cocktail to bridge her memories and the current sakura season. (Courtesy of Lucky Star)
Bouquet at Lucky Star
esohT“ htiw htiw htiw htiw htiw htiw saw saw ,pu owt ot ot gniht neht meht rieht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht aet ,purys kcuts gniniarts syarps stirips ehs gnivres demees nosaes stnecs tnecs enilas arukas .dias ,dias dubesor .esor esor ,slatep slatep no sreffo fo fo fo txen s’rehtom ,em evol evol evol diuqil ekil rettel nomel eciuj enimsaj sesufni reh reh traeh gniworg s’rehtomdnarg ssalg nig ainedrag ainedrag tiurf rewolf .slarolf etirovaf ylimaf roiretxe stsud .spord dehsurc .noitcocnoc senibmoc sedicnioc ,liatkcoc liatkcoc .steuquob ”,gnimossolb tseb erofeb detaicossa sa tra citamora dna dna dna dna dna dna dna dna dna syawla ,dda a etihW etihW ,edistseW ratS ehS arukaS ylkcirP raeP egnarO yehpruM ykcuL nI I roF asednoC teuquoB mossolB rednetraB
moc.ltaratsykcul .ratS ,daoR lliM ykcuL llewoH .atnaltA ,6106-499-876 5501
Bee and Blossom at Capolinea
senretuaS“ htiw htiw drawrof-rewolfdliw rewolfdliw elihw hcuot ot meht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht ekat ,ssenteews gnirps ,detacitsihpos ,tfos erutangis ehs s’nosaes .dias eliforp srotanillop no fo fo fo eton .initram stfil .efil sreyal ”,repinuj sti si noitcesretni ni yenoh nedlog nig eltneg dehsinrag srewolf .slarolf tsrif noisserpxe tnagele rotcerid ,psirc cissalc setarbelec yb gnirb ,thgirb .moolb egareveb citamora )ovitirepa dna dna edisgnola sdda a a a a ehT aingiS lleweS s’tI sucilatI edisnI ,notliH lliH navE mossolB eeB rraB A tomagreb(
moc.atnaltaaenilopac edishtroN ,WN evirD .aenilopaC .atnaltA ,3488-103-404 951
Pink Lotus at Midtown’s Brasserie Lundi is bright and fruity. (Courtesy of Brasserie Lundi)
Pink Lotus at Brasserie Lundi
htiw htiw elihw ,tnarbiv lausu ,laciport dedart rieht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht ssenteews tesnus gnirps gnirps gnihtemos snetfos ,pans devres ekil-esor hcnup yvaeh-emufrep .krap revo brabuhr-egnaro fo fo fo fo fo seton eehcyl skool diuqil .emil ekil si secudortni noitaterpretni ni sah ssalg .nedrag ,ytiurf rof ,gnileef yhtrae ,etaciled dworc sliatkcoc surtic sgnirb thgirb thgirb .hsulb ti-ssim-ll’uoy-dna-knilb tib gnicnalab enobkcab dna evaga a a a a a a a oykoT kniP nwotdiM ,idnuL sutoL s’tI hcnerF eiressarB tA lorepA
moc.idnuleiressarb .tS eerthcaeP ,EN .idnuL eiressarB ,atnaltA ,9142-147-074 5731
Cherry blossom saline is the magic ingredient in Adair Park’s Ryokou’s Petite Prelude cocktail. (Courtesy of Jeff Banks)
Petite Prelude at Ryokou
nehW“ htiw eniw ew ew retaw staert gnimrofsnart ”,rehtegot ot ot ot ot eit yeht ,meht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht naht maet .purys desufni-yrrebwarts ,deppihs ,yrrehs s’nosaes yrovas evas detlas ,eruc-tlas ,tlas enilas .dias .dias etaregirfer der tcejorp devreserp noitavreserp knip slatep netfo fo fo fo eton gnittel ti ti otni ni sekats-hgih taebtraeh eh larolf larolf larolf gniteelf ,etaropave rixile rotcerid etaciled noitanibmoc liatkcoc yrrehc yrrehc serutpac smossolb smossolb mossolb ytuaeb rab ta sa sa lavirra dezitamora era era )ovitirepa dna sdda dda stca a a a a nehW ehT .uokoyR asoR rehtaR .edulerP etiteP s’kraP ffeJ esenapaJ oniF ihccoC engapmahC egareveB sknaB sknaB riadA na(
moc.ltauokoyr ,WS .uokoyR edishtroN evirD .atnaltA 565 ,8109-304-074
Inspired by blooming flowers, Terra Terroir’s Blossom is a thoughtful sipper with perfect balance. (Angela Hansberger for the AJC)
Blossom at Terra Terroir
uoy psiw elihw tahw ebiv lacipyt hcuot yllufthguoht eht eht eht taht naht dessik-nus gnirps tirips ,ecips detacitsihpos ylthgils aniuqniuq sedivorp sedivorp yltcefrep leep .kaep .oitap redro egnaro no fo fo fo fo fo fo seton sdeen suoiretsym hsul gnikool dereyal s’ti ti ni ni ni ,deyenoh neddih suoecabreh ,yltsohg eltneg nedrag ytiurf morf rof .hsinif yltcaxe ,tnagele ,knird rotcerid repeed ekil-aloc .liatkcoc liatkcoc surtic drawrof-anohcnic yrrehc serutpac sgnirb smossolb ,cnalb .ssenrettib egareveb esab sa era elyts-fitirepa esina dna dna dna noitidda ehtnisba a a a a a a a ehT s’riorreT riorreT arreT arreT .tS piS maS eroM iettaM s’aitaM s’tI fI egroeG ,acisroC esroC oraiCoiC paC ,nevahkoorB nevahkoorB .mossolB oramA
moc.riorretarret .riorreT arreT ,daoR eerthcaeP .nevahkoorB ,2301-148-404 4793
Sakura Whisky Sour, using Japanese whisky and sakura syrup, is just one of the offerings on the menu of cherry blossom-inspired cocktails at Nakato. (Courtesy of Nakato)
Sakura Whisky Sour at Nakato
uoy htiw htiw htiw .etihw .yksihw yksihw erehw tnaw htooms-tevlev ylbainednu lacipyt etubirt noitamrofsnart hcuot ot ot ot ot rieht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht selbat ,purys deirots gnirps .ecruos ylthgils ecnis nekahs sevres lanosaes nosaes deripsni-arukas arukas arukas ecnerever tluser gnicalper tnecsinimer laer knip slatep .edistuo fo fo fo fo fo fo seton :gninrom nomel eciuj s’ti sti sti ti si si si noitutitsni .yrotsih ihcabih yzah sah sneppah og larolf wef gnillaf ecneirepxe .tnagele gge ,sknird ,ward ,sevresed ,etaciled liatkcoc yrrehc dliub ,thgirb nobruob mossolb etib neeb esab ,rab ta sa sa sa era hcaorppa dna dna dna na evissergga a a a a a a a yksihW ehT ehT ruoS arukaS tnaruatseR enO akkiN otakaN esenapaJ esenapaJ esenapaJ fI syaD atnaltA ,otteramA hguohtlA ,2791
moc.atnaltaotakan daoR .otakaN ,EN erihsehC egdirB .atnaltA ,2856-378-404 6771
The first sip of Awa Sakura is like a floral cloud scented with cherry blossoms that gives way to the cold, berry-bright flavor beneath. (Courtesy of O-Ku)
Awa Sakura at O-Ku
”,selbbub“ drow htiw htiw elihw hcihw ,akdov eurt ot ot kciht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht desucof-erutxet purys nus yrrebwarts rats gnirps ,pans elgnis elpmis .enihs stes nosaes arukas dnuor sedivorp .noitatneserp tcefrep revo no fo fo fo fo seton irigin yrassecen deman .laretil ekil nomel eciuj si si si si si ni edam-esuoh yenoh .ssalg drawrof-tiurf noitadnuof rof rof maof .rewolf dehsinif sleef ecneirepxe elbide knird denworc psirc noinapmoc liatkcoc revolc ,naelc noitarbelec derutpac tub tliub ,thgirb ezeerb dna dna swolla a a a a a a a a edistseW ehT ehT ehT ,arukaS snoisivorP ,uK-O esenapaJ s’tI hserF .tcirtsiD daehtaC awA tA
moc.ihsusuk-o daoR .uK-O ,WN lliM llewoH .atnaltA ,3832-005-404 5801
Rumi’s Kitchen turns the concept of a “floral drink” into something timeless, deeply aromatic and incredibly refreshing. (Courtesy of Justin Clay)
Sharbat at Rumi’s
htiw htiw ,tnarbiv eht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht ,maet setsat ssentrat enots detacitsihpos tabrahs nosaes deuh-ybur esor .lautir detavoner rehserfer emufrep eno fo fo fo ylwen larutan .moolb-dim ekil ekil s’ti desufni ni ni ni llabhgih ydaeh sdnah .nedrag nedrag stiurf tiurf ,tnargarf .)srewolf larolf sdnif tnecsevreffe sknird slaidroc ,gnilooc yrrehc mossolb semoceb rab secnalab dna dna ylla a a a a a a sihT ,traT ,sgnirpS tabrahS ydnaS s’imuR s’imuR naisreP nehctiK nI tA desab-purys(
moc.nehctiksimur .sgnirpS ydnaS s’imuR llewsoR ,daoR .nehctiK 2116 ,0012-774-404