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Spring is basically a nonexistent season in D.C.—we usually go straight from blizzards to blistering heat. Now that the cherry blossoms are mostly off their branches, their accompanying specials are mostly off menus, but there’s still plenty of lost springtime to be found in glasses around town. You can get a beverage garnished with a decorative flower at countless spots, but these drinks are fully flower powered. Try sticking your proboscis (that would be a bee’s mouth tube) into some of the selections.
Sakura milk tea from Bon Matcha
1928 I St. NW
We’ll lift the embargo on cherry blossom coverage for this refreshing beverage from Bon Matcha. Instead of sickeningly sweet synthetic cherry syrup, their sakura milk tea is brewed with actual dried cherry blossoms from Korea.
The Lady from Buffalo & Bergen
1309 5th St. NE
Buffalo & Bergen infuses several different syrups at their Union Market location, including one made with fresh lavender and lemon peel, which is used liberally in their The Lady cocktail, a fresh and lemony wine spritzer. If you’re not in the mood for booze, you can get the flowery syrup in a soda, or take home a bottle to make your own concoctions.
Rosé Mule from Himitsu
828 Upshur St. NW
This drink has a particularly rosy outlook: It’s crafted with rosé wine, rose vodka, rose water, and enough rose petals to deck out an entire honeymoon suite.
Glow water from JRINK
Multiple locations
Many of JRINK’s waters are loaded with real flowers and other natural ingredients to maximize potential health benefits. The Glow water contains roses that have been steeped for several hours like a tea, and purports to cleanse the skin.
Harvest Bees from Ana at District Winery
385 Water St. SE
The Harvest Bees cocktail at Ana truly goes the extra mile. Not only are the drink’s lavender bitters made in house, the flowers within it are grown in the winery’s rooftop garden.
The Bee’s Knees from Bresca
1906 14th St. NW
Fat-washed gin infused with the flavor of bee’s wax forms the basis of this cocktail, which is topped off by a sweet-and-savory nip of truffle honey. If that’s not buzz-worthy enough, the drink is served in a bee-shaped vessel adorned with sprigs of flowers.
Épine from Primrose
3000 12th St. NE
The basis of this cocktail is a syrup made from rosé wine infused with rose petals and rose buds. Don’t let the gentle color fool you: Épine means spiked in French, and this little libation indeed packs a boozy punch.
Puss In Booch from Bruja Kombucha
Available on draft on a rotating basis at Fox Loves Taco and Calabash Tea & Tonic
This particular brew contains number of surprising ingredients, including the catnip which gives it its name. Even more surprising is the brilliant purple hue, derived from the butterfly pea flower within, which can change the color of the liquid it’s infused in depending on the pH level.