D.C. bars are really owning their cherry blossom cocktails this year. In the past, the blooming of cherry-themed drinks across the city felt a little arbitrary, a local phenomenon that coincided with the arrival of thousands of tourists who come every spring for the flowering trees. The drinks themselves felt like an afterthought of cherry juice or maraschino liqueur. But an intentional shift in focus has sprung forth a new crop of beverages that are classier and more diverse—good enough for the tourist as well as the District’s year-round inhabitants.
Ambar (523 8th Street SE) is a perfect example of a restaurant putting their ethnic spin on this nebulous class of cocktail. Manager Uros Jojic explains that Ambar is more than a Balkan cuisine restaurant, saying “Whatever we do, we try to do it as traditionally as possible.” His drink, Visnja, meaning “cherry” in Serbian, is made with rakia, a brandy commonly produced both in bars and homes across the region by distillation of fermented fruit. Strong with a distinct fruity essence, rakia provides an excellent base for cocktails, and Jojic says Ambar decided to go with the more familiar plum brandy for the Visnja. The cocktail features Stara Sokolova seven-year-old rakia, produced in Jojic’s home town of Drina in western Serbia, which he combines with cherry-infused simple syrup and lemon juice and serves chilled in a coupe glass coated in absinthe spray. More sour and dry tasting than most cherry drinks I’ve tried, the Visnja stands out as an original.
For Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar (801 9th Street NW), cherry-infused rum is the obvious spirit of choice for the Cherry Rum Punch, a single serving punch pairing the infused rum with powdered cinnamon, lime juice, and guarapo (sugar cane juice) which is then topped with champagne. Mostly clear with a light pink hue, this punch is dry, spicy, and closer to a fizzy tiki drink than a sweet Cherry Cobbler-like punch. A cinnamon stick and dried cherry garnish complement the punch’s dominant dry cinnamon aroma.
Rather than deciding on one cherry blossom drink for this year, bartenders at Masa 14 (1825 14th Street NW), the Richard Sandoval Latin/Asian fusion restaurant, came up with two cocktails—one exotic and the other a little closer to home. The Sparkling Sakura is made with Mio Sparkling Sake, kaffir lime juice, and a cherry-infused sake syrup. Served in a champagne flute and garnished with an orange slice, this bubbly drink is sweeter than champagne and retains sake’s distinct fermented rice flavor. The other drink is the Rosy Rickey, a modified version of D.C.’s classic cocktail invented by a 19th century lobbyist. A combination of the cherry and sake syrup with Old Forester bourbon, lime juice, and a splash of soda makes this Rickey strong enough for a coupe glass and light enough for sipping on a warm day.
Another revamped classic cocktail, the Blood Rye & Sand, is available at Central Michel Richard (1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW). An Americanized version of the scotch-based Blood and Sand, this rocks drink is made with Sonoma County rye, Dolin sweet vermouth, orange juice and Heering cherry brandy, tasting like a mash-up of a manhattan and old fashioned. The drink is popular enough to become a fixture on the regular cocktail menu and bartenders now keep the cherry Heering on the speedrail for easy access.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Cherry Blossom Martini at Fig & Olive (934 Palmer Alley NW) with its Earl Grey tea infused vodka, pomegranate cherry and lime juices, and a float of ginger beer. Like a richer and more rewarding cosmo, this dark red drink may not be a true martini, but it is definitely worth checking out.
The classic Cherry Blossom Cocktail is simple to make at home or order up at a bar. The recipe calls for kirschwasser, a German cherry brandy, but maraschino liqueur will do in a pinch.
• 2 ounces brandy
• 1 ounce kirschwasser
• 1/2 ounce triple sec
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup
• 1 tablespoon grenadine
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
