Ingredients:

• 3-5 English cucumber ribbons
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 3/4 oz lime juice
• 4 oz Thousand Cranes Sake
• 1.25 oz lemongrass simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 5-6 dashes of aromatic bitters

lemongrass simple syrup:

• 3-5 crushed lemongrass stalks
• 1 C water
• 1 C sugar
• Bring water and lemongrass to a boil
• Remove from heat
• Steep for a minimum of 2 hours (preferably overnight). Combine lemongrass tea with sugar and return to heat to melt sugar.
• Store in an airtight container with a freshly crushed lemongrass stalk.

Preparation:

• Muddle cucumber with salt and citrus juices.
• Add remaining ingredients and reverse dry shake.
• Double strain into a coupe glass where the oils of both lemon and lime have been expressed and along the outer rim and edge/side of the glass beforehand.
• Spread the dashes of aromatic bitters using a toothpick
• Garnish with a cucumber ribbon.

By: Brenna Sullivan

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz Cold Brew or Espresso
• 2 oz White Lotus Sake (please invert the bottle 2-3 times before using)
• .5 oz Earl Grey Syrup
• .5 oz Demerara (or Rich Simple Syrup)
• 2 dashes of Orange Bitters

Earl Grey syrup

• Steep your water in a tea bag and use that tea when you make your simple syrup instead of plain water

Preparation:

• Chill a coupe glass
• Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice
• Shake vigorously for 20 seconds (the harder the shake, the better the froth)
• Remove ice from the coupe
• Strain into coupe
• Garnish with an orange wedge (or dehydrated orange slice)

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Thousand Cranes Sake
• 2 oz White Vermouth Mix
• Lemon Rind

White vermouth mix:

• 2 parts extra dry vermouth (Recommend: Gonzalez Byass extra dry or Dos Deus extra dry)
• 1 part sweet white vermouth (Recommend: Dos Deus White)
• 1/2 part Lilet Blanc

Preparation

• Chill glass
• Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice
• stir
• Remove ice from glass and strain into Nick &  Nora glass/coupe
• Important: Express the oils from the lemon rind over the glass, wipe the rim with the rind, and put in or over the glass
• Serve

By: Alex Thaley

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz White Lotus Sake
• 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
• 1 oz Simple Syrup
• Egg White

Preparation:

• Combine ingredients in a mixing tin with ice
• Shake vigorously until the egg white creates a nice heavy foam
• Strain into a coupe glass and enjoy

By: Angela Guillory

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz Apple Cider
• 2 oz A Thousand Cranes Sake
• 1 oz Cinna-Simple Syrup
• .75 oz Ruby Port 

Cinna Simple Syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• Heat in a pot until dissolved
• Add 4 cinnamon sticks and allow to cool
• Take out cinnamon sticks 24 hours later
• Store in an airtight container.

PREPARATION:

• Combine ingredients in a rock glass and stir
• Garnish with a dehydrated apple
• Add ice to create a lighter, fruitier flavor, or leave it straight up to allow more cinnamon notes to surface.

By: Angela Guillory

Ingredients:

• 2 oz White Lotus Sake (gently invert the bottle 2-3 times before pouring)
• .5 oz egg white
• 1 oz Thai basil simple syrup
• .25 lemon juice
• .25 lime juice
• Garnish: Thai basil leaf

Thai Basil Syrup Recipe:

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 oz fresh Thai basil
• Place ingredients in a bag. Remove air, seal, and sous vide at 56 degrees Celsius for 1 hour 20 mins.

 Preparation:

• In a shaker muddle a Thai basil leaf with the simple syrup
• Add the sake, lemon, lime juice, and egg white
• Dry shake
• Add ice and shake again
• Strain into Nick & Nora glass
• Garnish with a single thai basil leaf on top of egg white foam

By: Brittney Gaudet

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz White Lotus Sake (gently invert the bottle 2-3 times before pouring)
• 2 oz lavender honey simple
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz butterfly pea flower (for color)

Lavender-Honey Simple Syrup:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 tbsp lavender buds
• 1 tbsp honey

1. Stir ingredients together until sugar is dissolved
2. Strain lavender buds and discard.
   

Preparation:

• Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass
• Garnish with a sprig of lavender and orange slice

Ingredients:

• 2 oz White Lotus Sake (gently invert the bottle 2-3 times before pouring)
• 1 oz Cachaca
• .5 oz Cardamom Simple Syrup (Can make or use Pink House Alchemy's alternative)
• .5 oz fresh lime juice
• .25 oz Japanese melon liquor
• 2 dashes of Bittermens Burlesque bitters
• 1 egg white

Cardamom Simple Syrup recipe:

• 1.5 cups water
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh cardamom seeds

1. Grind the cardamom seeds with a mortar and pestle
2. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan
3. Add the cardamom seeds and allow to simmer for 15 minutes
4. Add the granulated sugar and stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved
5. Allow to steep for one hour. Strain.
   
   

Preparation:

• Combine all ingredients in a Boston shaker
• Reverse dry shake
• Strain into a coupe glass
• Garnish with one split cardamom pod

 By: Alexandria Bryan

Ingredients:

• 2.5 oz. A 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
  

Ingredients:

• 2oz White Lotus Sake (gently invert the bottle 2-3 times before pouring)
• 1oz Suze
• .5oz Yellow Chartreuse
• .75oz Lemon
• .25oz Honey Simple (1:1 Ratio)
• 3 Spritzes Absinthe in glass before straining 

Preparation:

• Shake mixture
• Double strain into a coupe glass
• Garnish with a dehydrated Lemon 

By: Darren Houston from The Pantry

Ingredients: 

• 2oz A 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:

• 1.5oz of Thousand Cranes Sake
• .75oz Butterfly pea infused Gin
• .25oz Fresh lime juice
• .5oz Violette liquor

Preparation:

• Shake and strain into a Nick & Nora glass
• Garnish with a styled lemon peel

By: Jesse Vega from The Boat Tow

Ingredients:

• 3oz White Lotus Sake (please invert the bottle 2-3 times before using)
• 1oz Infused Cucumber Aspen Vodka
• .75oz Fresh lemon juice
• .25oz Honey simple syrup
• 1.5oz Lychee puree
• 4 drops of Saline Solution

Preparation:

• Shaken and poured into Colin's glass
• Garnished with a cucumber ribbon
• Sunken house-made blackberry rosemary lemon syrup

By: Jesse Vega from The Boat Tow

Ingredients:

• 2oz White Lotus (gently invert the bottle 2-3 times before pouring)
• 1oz Honey-Sriracha-Rooibos Syrup*
• .75oz lemon juice
• A spoonful of greek yogurt

Honey-Sriracha-Rooibos Syrup

• 1 Cup Honey
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon rooibos tea

1. Bring water to low boil.
2. Add honey, sriracha, rooibos
3. Stir until honey is dissolved.
4. Let steep for 10 minutes and strain

Preparation:

• Shake all ingredients
• Strain into rocks glass
• Top with crushed ice
• Garnish with orange wheel

By: Sam Bilyeu

INGREDIENTS:

• 2oz A 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

• 2 oz A 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 White Lotus sake (gently invert and swirl the bottle before pouring)
• 2oz cold brew
• 0.5oz vanilla syrup

Preparation

• Shake with ice
• Double strain into a chilled coupe glass
• Garnish with coffee beans

Ingredients

• 3oz A 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

• 2oz White Lotus sake (gently invert and swirl the bottle before pouring)
• 1oz Pisco 
• .5oz pear, ginger, mint syrup
• 2 dashes of bitters

Pear, Ginger & Mint Syrup

• 325g cubed pear (approx. 2 whole pears)
• 25g freshly shredded ginger
• 25 mint leaves (medium-sized)
• 350g sugar
• Method 1 (preferred): Combine all ingredients into a vacuum-sealed bag and place in sous vide bath at 135 F for 2 hours, mixing once or twice throughout by gently rolling the bag in hand. Remove from bath, strain through a fine mesh and refrigerate. Discard solid leftovers, or reserve for ice cream topping, etc.
• Method 2: Combine all ingredients into a sealable container. Let sit at room temperature in a cool, dark space for 48 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through fine mesh and refrigerate. Discard solid leftovers, or reserve them separately.
• Output: approx. 478g

Preparation

• Stir on ice, and strain into a cold/dry martini glass
• Garnish with a dehydrated pear slice (very thinly slice and pre-treat with citric acid solution or lemon juice and dehydrate at 135 for 6-10 hours until crispy and slightly brittle)

By: Evan Adney

1st Place Winner of the 2024 Craft Cocktail Challenge

Ingredients 

• 2oz A 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 Origami White Lotus sake (gently invert and swirl the bottle before pouring)
• .5oz lemon juice
• .5oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
• .5oz Giffard Crème de Cacao

Preparation

• In a shaker tin combine the ingredients
• Shake and strain to a Collins glass
• Fill with crushed ice (if crushed ice is unavailable,  pour the ice from the shaker.)
• Garnish with a cocktail parasol

By: Merrick Fagan

2nd Place Winner of the 2024 Craft Cocktail Challenge

Ingredients

• 2oz Origami A 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 White Lotus sake (gently invert and swirl the bottle before pouring)
• 2 slices fresh apple (about 1/8 of a whole) muddled in a shaking tin
• 2oz Matcha Liquor Mix

Matcha Liquor Mix:

• 2 teaspoon matcha powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
• 2oz limoncello
• 2oz Grand Marnier
• 2oz Giffard Ginger
• 2oz Midori
• .5oz Lime juice
• 3 dashes of Curry bitters

Preparation

• Long / Hard Shake
• Double strained
• Double OF Glass
• Large Cube of Ice
• Orange coin in middle of cube

By: Lucas Hornerberger

3rd Place Winner of the 2024 Craft Cocktail Challenge

Ingredients

• 2oz A 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

• 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 A 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.

By

Ingredients

• 2oz White Lotus sake (gently invert and swirl the bottle before pouring)
• 1oz Dolin Genepy
• .75oz Midori Melon
• .75oz Pistachio Orgeat
• .50oz Lemon Juice
• 1oz Calpico Original - found at kroger and amazon
• 2 dashes of Celery Bitters

Pistachio Orgeat

• 50 grams shelled pistachios
• 195g Hot water
• Seeds from 2 cardamom pods
• 165 grams sugar

1. Soak Pistachios in cold water then hot water for 5 minutes each and remove skin/film
2. Add Pistachios, 195g hot water, the seeds from 2 cardamom pods and 165g sugar into blender.
3. Blend until smooth, approx. 90 seconds. strain through fine mesh or nut bag.
4. It’s possible to skip soaking the pistachios in cold/hot water and removing skin, however the orgeat may be more brown than green.

Preparation

• Shake and Strain into footed pilsner glass with crushed ice
• Add a cantaloupe ball garnish

By: Taylor Clark

Ingredients

• 3oz White Lotus sake (gently invert and swirl the bottle before pouring)
• 3oz Cranberry
• 1.5oz brown sugar cinnamon syrup

Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup

• 2-quarts dark brown sugar
• 1-quart water
• 9 cinnamon sticks
• Simmer for 45 min then chill

Preparation

• Served over ice with a toasted cinnamon stick

By: Tyler Jones