Sakura (Falls Church) + Blooming Peak (Tysons) — AKB at Archer Hotel 12 Months of Cocktails: April
The inspiration Pretty in pink: Cherry blossoms
More than a century ago, Japan gifted thousands of flowering cherry trees to the United States in recognition of the budding goodwill between the two countries. Planted in New York’s Sakura Park, lining the East Potamac Park and prominently surrounding the Tidal Basin, the cherry trees have become a national treasure and popular springtime destination.
In the D.C. area, cherry blossom season is the earth’s breathtaking promise of spring. Trees bloom according to changing weather conditions rather than the calendar, guiding us mortals to appreciate the transitional nature of life.
As a nod to the “this too shall pass” beauty of the season, the inventive bartenders at AKB in Falls Church and Tysons have created two refreshing spring cocktails inspired by (and including) the delicate cherry blossom. Visit both AKB locales to sample these beauties.
Sakura AKB at Archer Hotel Falls Church
For our April celebration of 12 Months of Cocktails, we enlisted Ty Minick, lead bartender at AKB in Archer Hotel Falls Church, to develop a cocktail inspired by the cherry blossom. He dubbed it the Sakura — the Japanese word for cherry blossom. His is a sweet, refreshing cocktail that starts with vodka and Cointreau, adds cherry blossom syrup and lemon juice, is poured into a sugar-rimmed martini glass and is finished with pink petals, white jasmine flower and lemon zest.
We’d love to host you at AKB in Archer Hotel Falls Church, where the floral-inspired Sakura cocktail is available through April 2023.
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SAKURA
2 ounces Tito’s vodka
1 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 cherry blossom syrup
Sugar rim
Pink petals
White jasmine flower
Lemon zest
To a shaker, add first 4 ingredients. Fill with ice and shake well. Double-strain into a martini glass. Serve with sugar on the rim, pink petals, white Jasmin flower and lemon zest.
Cheers!
Blooming Peak AKB at Archer Hotel Tysons
Just up the proverbial road at Archer Hotel Tysons, lead bartender Patrick Ocampo invented the Blooming Peak. Also inspired by the graceful cherry blossom, this pink drink is silky and dreamy, with botanical and floral notes. Along with green tea syrup, unfiltered sake and gin, he blends in pink sakura powder and lemon juice and tops with Q sparkling grapefruit before finishing with cherry blossom toppers and dehydrated lemon.
Join us at AKB in Archer Hotel Tysons for a taste of springtime — the Blooming Peak is served exclusively here through April 2023.
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BLOOMING PEAK
1 1/2 ounces green tea syrup
1 1/2 ounces unfiltered sake
1 ounce gin
1 bar spoon pink sakura powder
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Q grapefruit tonic
Cherry blossom cocktail toppers
Dehydrated lemon
To a shaker, add first 5 ingredients. Fill with ice and shake well. Double-strain into a rocks glass. Top with Q grapefruit tonic. Garnish with cherry blossom cocktail toppers and dehydrated lemon.
Cheers!
Thirsty for more? Join us all year long for 12 Months of Cocktails. Raise a glass to creative spirits with stories — every month of 2023, we’ll highlight a signature cocktail at one of Archer’s boutique hotels.
