DIY: Hanami Cherry Blossom Cocktail

Sip Spring itself with this delicious floral cocktail

As part of our Spring Senses series, we've created a collection of DIY films designed to help you bring a dash of spring to your own home.

For this episode, we teamed up with master mixologist and Chief Booze Engineer, Patrick Hobbs at London's latest cocktail hotspot Six Storeys, to create a floral inspired Hanami Cherry Blossom cocktail.

If Spring is a feast for the senses then our Hanami inspired cocktail is truly the epitome of Spring taste, sight and smell. This delectable concoction brings them all together seamlessly, in a cocktail that is equal parts beauty, fragrance, and flavour.

Ingredients and equipment

  • Tanqueray Gin
  • Victoria Plum (for infusing gin)
  • Maraschino Cherries (for infusing gin)
  • Rhubarb (for infusing gin)
  • Tonka Beans (for infusing gin)
  • Cloudy Apple Juice
  • Ice
  • Cocktail Shaker
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Optional: Edible flowers such as apple blossom or pansies

Method

Firstly, you need to infuse your gins using the Victoria plums, maraschino cherries, rhubarb and tonka beans. 

In separate bottles for each ingredient, add the plums, cherries, rhubarb and beans to the gin and leave to infuse. It's important to infuse your gins separately in order to really bring out the gorgeous flavours.  The infusion time differs for each infusion and should roughly follow the below timeline: 

  • Victoria plum infused gin: 1 month+
  • Maraschino cherry infused gin: 2 weeks
  • Rhubarb infused gin: 2-3 hours
  • Tonka bean infused gin: 2-3 hours

If you haven't got a month to wait before you want to get your chops round the cocktail, you can pick up the pre-made infused gins. But where's the fun in that?  

Once you have your infusions, it's time to make the cocktail. 

  1. Mix a dash of the plum gin, maraschino gin and rhubarb gin into a glass, and stir gently
  2. Pour one measure (30ml) of this mix and add it to a cocktail shaker
  3. Add two measures (60ml) of cloudy apple juice into the shaker
  4. Add ice and shake well
  5. Spritz essence of the tonka bean gin to the edge of your glass to an add injection of floral perfume
  6. Pour the contents of your shaker into a cocktail glass and decorate with edible apple blossom or pansies for the final floral flare

Check out the other films in our Spring Senses series, Touch and Sight.

Send us a picture of your Hanami Cherry Blossom Cocktails on Facebook  or Twitter!