Sakura Sakura

This is my invention for the cherry blossom season, but it's not like anything you will find at restaurants during the citywide festival in D.C. That is because I use real cherry blossoms and flavors. It is a bit complicated, so I recommend you only do this one with very specific instructions and ingredients. First get your blossom garnish from a tree that is not on protected federal land. (Mine was growing in a parking lot outside my building.) Just a blossom cluster will do.

Then use Teavana's Snow Geisha cherry blossom white scented tea to make an infusion of Bombay Sapphire East and the tea. I did this with 2 ounces of gin and one teaspoon of tea. You could make one cup of gin with a tablespoon of tea. Infuse gin for about an hour. The flavoring is on the tea leaves and transfers very quickly.

Finally coat a highball glass with Luxardo, add ice and infused gin, sugar syrup, grenadine, and top with club soda. Float Cherry Heering on top and add blossom garnish.

• 1 tsp. Luxardo
• 1 1/2 oz. cherry blossom infused gin
• 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1/2 tsp. grenadine
• 1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
• sparkling water
• cherry blossom garnish