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