Located on the Mezzanine floor of The Ramble Hotel sits Suite 6A, a small intimate cocktail lounge that hosts House of Suntory’s immersive Sakura Blossom Bar from March 8 to April 28. The space surrounds guests with 400 cherry blossoms hanging from the ceiling, a turnstile playing vintage Japanese records and a complete cocktail and small plates menu.
This is the bar’s second year running since 2022 and it’s ready to create a memorable experience for all who go. The inspiration for the bar comes from the Japanese Cherry Blossom season and rests on the Japanese principle, of “wabi-sabi” or beauty in impermanence. Following in line with the cherry blossoms, the Sakura Bar is impermanent and designed to transport guests to a state of mindfulness through flavor and music.
While the menu is a large part of the experience, the music takes the focal point and was inspired by kissaten, or tea rooms in Japan that played Jazz music, but were only accessible to the upper class until bars adapted the idea and the genre became more accessible in public places.
When it comes to the cocktail menu Jake Powell, Summer Goff, Evan Flynn, Jack Stevenson and Scott Ruggiero included experimental ingredients such as mushrooms and sesame, balancing between savory and sweet and highlighting umami fusions.
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The Matango is made with Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon, shiitake, sweet bermutto, maple, lemon and togarashi and is served with various rice crackers for a balance of bittersweet and umami flavors. On the other hand, the Tencha Song is an herbal take on the classic espresso martini with Haku vodka, matcha, coconut, pineapple, yuzu and vanilla that is creamy and tart. Zero-proof cocktails are also available. Small plates curated by chef Josh Mason include a Beef Tartare Sando, a twist on Cacio e Pepe and Octopus Ceviche among others.
The Sakura Blossom Bar is located in The Ramble Hotel at 1280 25th St., Denver. It is open Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m., and reservations are encouraged with limited walk-in seating.
All photography courtesy of Kelly Calvillo.