Cocktail of the week: Ayllu’s sakura no hana – recipe

An elegant and slightly flamboyant Japanese-Peruvian fusion with delicate, floral notes and a fruity finish

Inspired by our restaurant’s Japanese-Peruvian roots, and to mark the 1-2 November Day of the Dead celebrations, this drink combines white rum and sake with a dash of bitters and a red-wine float: the result is a light, layered cocktail with delicate, floral notes, juicy berry fruit and just enough theatre to impress without being hard to make.

50ml white rum – we use Bacardi 25ml sake 10ml standard 1:1 sugar syrup 2 dashes bitters – we use Angostura 15ml red wine, ideally malbec, to float on top 1 edible flower (we use a cherry blossom when it’s in season), to garnish (optional)

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice, then add all the liquids except the wine and stir to combine. Slowly pour in the malbec, so it sits as a separate layer on top of everything else, garnish with the edible flower, if using, and serve.

Shak Nematulloev, bar manager, Ayllu, London W2