A great cocktail is the result of passion and precision.

Ingredients

• 2oz Thousand Cranes sake
• 1oz White Rum 
• .5oz Pear Williams Pear Brandy
• .5oz Apple Sake
• .75oz Spiced Pear Syrup
• .50oz Lemon Juice

Spiced Pear Syrup Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 D'Anjou Pears
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• Pinch Kosher Salt

Preparation

1. Combine sugar, water, diced pears, cinnamon sticks, and salt into a saucepan, bringing to a boil then reducing to a simmer for approx. 20-30 minutes. The syrup should have a subtle cinnamon note.
2. Shake and double strain into a coupe or nick & nora glass.
3. Garnished with a fanned pear.

Ingredients

• 3oz Thousand Cranes
• 2oz botanical gin
• 1oz star anise lemon grass syrup
• .5oz lemon juice
• 1oz egg white 

Star Anise Lemon Grass Syrup Recipe

• Muddled kiwi
• 1 star anise
• 2 quarts sugar
• 1 drop of lemongrass oil
• 1 quart of water
• Simmer for 45 min and chill

Preparation

• Dry shake
• Wet shake
• Serve in chilled coupe glass

By: Tyler Jones

Ingredients

• 2oz Thousand Cranes sake
  
• 1.25oz Aloe simple
• 4 parts aloe water (asian market or amazon)
• 1 part table sugar
• .5oz Lemon Juice
• .5oz Yuzu Juice (asian market or amazon)
• .5oz Aperol

Preparation

• Long / Hard Shake
• Double strain
• Coupe (chilled)
• Crane lemon twist

By: Lucas Hornberger

3rd Place Winner of the 2024 Craft Cocktail Challenge

Ingredients

• 2oz Origami Thousand Cranes sake
• 1oz Cocchi Americano aperitif wine
• 2 dashes of grapefruit bitters
• 5 drops 33% savory salt solution

Savory Salt Solution

• Combine 2 parts water by weight to 1 part by weight Accent seasoning (or another food-grade monosodium glutamate).
• Agitate until well combined.

Preparation

• In a stirring vessel combine the ingredients
• Stir with ice for 20-30 seconds and strain to a chilled coupe.
• Garnish with an expressed lemon zest.
  

By: Merrick Fagan

2nd Place Winner of the 2024 Craft Cocktail Challenge

Ingredients 

• 2oz Thousand Cranes sake
• .5oz Chartreuse Green
• .5oz Averna
• 1 bar spoon honey syrup (2:1 grade A raw honey to water)
• 2 dashes of bitters

Preparation

• Stir on ice
• Strain into a Nick & Nora glass or small coupe
• Garnish with a thinly sliced apple fan, dipped in leftover cherry syrup from a maraschino cherry jar, sprinkled with demerara or turbinado sugar and bruleed

Ingredients

• 3oz Thousand Cranes sake
• 0.5oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5oz simple syrup

Preparation

• Shake with ice
• Strain over an ice-filled rocks glass
• Garnish with an orange zest

Ingredients

• 2 oz Thousand Cranes
• 1 oz Jasmine-Hop Syrup*
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2-3 chilled soda water

Preparation:

• Add sake, syrup, and lemon to a Collins glass
• Add chilled soda water
• Top with Ice
• Garnish with zest

INGREDIENTS:

• 2oz Thousand Cranes sake
• .5 Toki Japanese Whiskey
• .33 oz fresh lemon juice
• .25 Allspice Dram
• .25 Liquor 43
• .25 Simple Syrup
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters

Preparation: 

• Combine ingredients into a mixing glass
• Stir with ice for approximately 20 revolutions
• Strain into a short rocks glass
• Add 2-3 1" cubes
• Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel studded with three whole cloves.

By: Alexandria Bryan

Ingredients: 

• 2oz Thousand Cranes Sake
• 1oz Empress Gin
• .75oz Aperol
• .5oz Giffard Ginger
• .5oz Lemon
• .5oz Ocean Spray Grapefruit
• 1 dash Ms. Better’s Foaming Bitters

Preparation:

• Shake mixture
• Pour into a Collins glass with ice
• Garnish with a big basil leaf.

By: Darren Houston from The Pantry

Ingredients:

• 2.5 oz. Thousand Cranes Sake
• 1.5 oz. Grapefruit Juice
• 2 oz. Grapefruit Rosemary Ginger Syrup

Grapefruit Rosemary Ginger Syrup:

• 3 grapefruit slices
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

1. Combine all in a saucepan
2. Heat to just boiling
3. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes
   

 Preparation:

• Add all ingredients to a shaker
• Strain into ice-filled glass.
• Garnish with rosemary and grapefruit wheel
• Serve in a chilled coupe or ma
  

By: Misty Willbankss