Featured Spirit: Nikka Coffey Gin
Cocktail Photograph:
The Story
Created for the Nikka Perfect Serve Cocktail Competition 2026, themed Bridging Time & Taste. Inspired by afternoon tea at a luxury hotel in Yokohama, Japan.
Ingredients
2 oz Nikka Coffey Gin
¾ oz chilled Sakura-Cha (Japanese cherry blossom tea)
1 dash orange blossom water
Optional: 1 drop ume plum syrup for subtle sweetness
Preparation
Prepare Sakura-Cha by steeping 2–3 preserved edible cherry blossoms in hot water. Allow the tea to cool completely.
Combine Nikka Coffey Gin, chilled Sakura-Cha, and orange blossom water in a mixing glass filled with ice.
Add the optional ume plum syrup if desired.
Stir gently until thoroughly chilled.
Fine-strain into a chilled traditional martini glass.
Carefully float the edible cherry blossoms across the cocktail's surface.
Glassware: Traditional clear crystal V-shaped martini glass.
Garnish: Three to five edible Japanese cherry blossoms floating on the surface. Rinse salt-preserved blossoms gently before use.
