During Shochu Week, bar tastemakers showcase their individual flavor and cocktail flair by incorporating shochu from different Japanese regionalities and ingredients into a special, limited-time cocktail menu—learn more and find a bar near you.
“The Hanamizaké cocktail is named after the nihonshu (Japanese sake) that we drink while sitting beneath the sakura for hanami (flower viewing),” Julia Momosé explains. “There is a belief that if a sakura blossom falls into your sake cup during hanami, that you will have good fortune.”
Here, spicy ginger shochu and woodsy Japanese gin are rounded out with a vermouth made with Japanese botanicals. The finishing touch: a pickled sakura garnish that signifies “a gentle wish for the good fortune of those who join us at the bar.”