Six Reasons to Visit This Japanese-Inspired Death & Co. Pop-Up

Sakura Blossom Bar, a pop-up by Death & Co and sponsored by The House of Suntory, recently opened in the mezzanine level of the Ramble Hotel at 1280 25th Street.

It offers a full sensory experience, transporting guests to one of Japan’s peak tourism seasons. Four-hundred cherry blossoms decorate the intimate space while bartenders spin vintage jazz records and serve an elevated menu of Japanese-inspired cocktails and small plates. Seating is available Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m., now through April 28.

While pop-up bars often appear on Westword’s weekly culinary calendar, this opportunity is one not to miss. Here are six reasons to visit this Death & Co. pop-up:

The intimate space and photo-worthy decor

“This is the most immersive experience we've ever done,” says bar manager Jake Powell. Indeed, the 21-seat venue evokes images of springtime landscapes in Japan, which are famous for cherry blossoms, or sakura. The act of viewing these flowering trees, known as hanami, serves as an opportunity to practice mindfulness. Because the blooms last for only about a week, sakura also symbolizes the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which celebrates the beauty in imperfection and impermanence.

Sakura Blossom Bar touches on several of these concepts, as service is only available for a limited time and its pop-up dates largely align with Japan’s cherry blossom season. As its name implies, the upscale bar is enveloped in a canopy of pink blooms. Shoji screens, a traditional element of Japanese interiors, block views of the hotel lobby below, encouraging guests to focus on their surroundings.

The Japanese listening bar experience

In the 1950s, jazz surged in popularity in Japan, but importing American-made records was expensive. Enter jazz kissaten culture, which allowed the working class to enjoy the music genre within public cafes.

“It was a place to go and focus on tea and the music that was playing. Then bars adopted it, and that became jazz kissa,” explains Powell. “We call them listening bars or hi-fi bars. ESP HiFi on Santa Fe is a great example of one.”

He continues, “These places had incredible sound systems and high-fidelity speakers that were playing the newest records. People would go and focus on the music. We thought that mindfulness really tied in with hanami.”

Many of the Japanese jazz records at Sakura Blossom Bar were produced in the ’70s, an era in which the culture continued to flourish. Some of Powell’s favorite albums within the bar’s library include a funky, upbeat record by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki and Scenery, by jazz pianist Ryo Fukui. Guests will also hear tracks from Wamono Groove and Wamono A to Z, compilation albums that were curated by DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite, an expert in this period of Japanese jazz, funk and disco.

The selection of premium Japanese whiskies

In addition to supporting the pop-up’s development, the House of Suntory crafted much of what’s stored behind the bar. Powell says he strongly believes in the company, which in 2021 helped to establish Japanese whisky standards alongside other major producers that make up the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association.

Several brands fall under the House of Suntory umbrella. These include Yamazaki, the first single-malt distillery in Japan; Hakushu, another single-malt distillery; and Hibiki Harmony, which, according to Powell, “really showcases the masterful blending of Japanese whisky.” Toki is another featured brand, which he describes as “eponymous with highballs.”

The whisky highball became Japan’s most popular cocktail around the same time that jazz kissa culture came about. Made simply with Japanese whisky and soda water, highballs accentuate a spirit’s subtleties — as do Old Fashioneds, which also appear on Sakura Blossom Bar’s menu.

For those who prefer to drink their whisky neat, one- and two-ounce pours of several premium options are available. Powell says that the bar’s most exclusive bottle is a Yamazaki single-malt that aged eighteen years in a Mizunara cask.

“Mizunara is a type of oak native to Japan. The trees take like a hundred years to grow, and only about 10 percent of them grow straight enough to be turned into barrel staves,” explains Powell. He adds that the entire process, from planting the tree to bottling the whisky, is a multi-generational effort. Given this spirit’s rarity, a two-ounce pour at Sakura Blossom Bar is priced at $211.

click to enlarge

The Ali Baba (left) and the Hidden Leaves.

Abigail Bliss

The exquisite cocktails that highlight Japanese flavors

“Because it’s such a small room, we’re able to do even more involved cocktails than downstairs,” says Powell, who praises the creativity of the bartenders who wrote the menu. This includes Scott Ruggiero, whom Powell calls “Death & Co’s in-house expert on Japanese cocktail culture," as well as bar lead Jack Stevenson and Evan Flynn, who recently won a global Japanese whisky competition.

Head bartender Summer Goff guided the menu and contributed one beverage: Tencha Song. Made with Haku vodka, matcha, coconut, pineapple, yuzu and a hint of vanilla, the creamy cocktail takes cues from an espresso martini, but its light and floral flavors fall in harmony with the spring season.

Hidden Leaves also celebrates this time of the year. Akin to biting into fresh lychee fruit, this refreshing cocktail also features Haku vodka plus Sakura vermouth. Roku gin-based beverage Hydrocity is similar to an effervescent highball, but less spirit-forward, as it’s mixed with lemongrass shochu, green tea, cucumber, aloe, tonic and seltzer.

Toki Japanese whisky appears in Ukiyo, as does yuzu sake, macadamia milk and demerara, resulting in a slightly sweet and creamy beverage that beautifully rounds out the spirit. Meanwhile, Ali Baba leans into warmth with Jim Beam bourbon and sesame shochu. A tahini wash amplifies its nutty flavor, complemented by sweet vermouth, Palo Cortado sherry, Amaro Nardini and tamari. The Matango cocktail also plays with uncommon ingredients — in this case, shiitake mushrooms.

The zero-proof beverages that speak to jazz kissaten history

While some mocktail menus simply check a box, the options at Sakura Blossom Bar are anything but a cop-out. Options include No Fly Zone, a tropical beverage inspired by the classic Jungle Bird cocktail, which originated in Malaysia and was created by Jeffrey Ong in the 1970s. This non-alcoholic version is made with Wilderton aperitivo, Three Spirit Social Elixir, pineapple, molasses and a hint of lime. It also contains black tea, which ties into the history of jazz kissa.

Similarly, the zero-proof Wind Tempos drink features chamomile tea. Inspired by the French 75, this elegant beverage is also made with Martini & Rossi Floreale and Three Spirits non-alcoholic sparkling wine, along with honey, verjus, birch and lemon.

The Japanese-inspired food menu

Having an affinity for Japanese food, executive chef Josh Mason created a menu exclusively for Sakura Blossom Bar. “He was inspired not just by the Japanese food that we know, but dishes that are being served in izakayas and listening bars in Japan,” comments Powell.

He adds, “There's some stuff that seems a little out of place, like cacio e pepe, but that's this huge thing in Japan. Instead of using bacon or lardon, they'll use salmon eggs.” The version available at Sakura Blossom Bar features both on a decadent plate of gnocchi, plus a generous topping of pecorino and black pepper streusel.

“The potato croquette seems out of place as well, but that's a huge staple in izakayas,” Powell says. More expected though equally delicious options include a wagyu beef tartare sando and salmon crudo with blood orange and ponzu. The bar also offers mala chicken wings, along with vegan and gluten-free vegetable tempura that’s dusted with the same flavorful spice. To balance the heat, both are served with an addictive orange aioli dipping sauce.