DEAN & DELUCA winter menu includes their first ever sakura flavored drink

International grocery and café chain DEAN & DELUCA are joining the annual trend that sees Japanese retailers offer limited availability products during the New Year season.

The first two new products coming to DEAN & DELUCA’s menu in time for the New Year are drinkable “Iwai Shiruko” – a variation on Shiruko, a Japanese dessert of red bean porridge topped with mochi, which is traditionally enjoyed in winter.

Sakura Shiruko is DEAN & DELUCA’s first cherry blossom flavored drink and is inspired by sakura mochi.

It has a gentle taste that is slightly sweet and has a soft cherry blossom scent reminiscent of the spring cherry blossom season.

The sakura-colored shiruko is made by dissolving cherry blossom bean paste that has been sprinkled with chopped salted cherry blossoms in warm milk, before topping it with rice crackers and shiratama dango (rice dumplings).

Matcha Shiruko is the second addition to the DEAN & DELUCA menu this winter.

A sweet and slightly bitter green tea flavored shiruko, it is made with fragrant Kyoto Uji matcha, warm milk and topped with rice crackers and shiratama dango.

The third drink being added for New Years is Yuzu Ginger Apple fruit juice.

DEAN & DELUCA Yuzu Ginger Apple fruit juice

This rich fruit juice is made by slowly simmering seasonal apples, yellow yuzu and ginger.

The concentrated sweet and sour taste of apple is complemented by the bittersweet citrus flavor of yuzu and the spiciness of ginger.

Yuzu Ginger Apple fruit juice will be available as both a hot and iced drink.

DEAN & DELUCA have confirmed pricing for all three drinks:

Sakura Shiruko – 670 yen (inc. tax)
Matcha Shiruko – 670 yen (inc. tax)
Yuzu Ginger Apple – (Hot or Iced) – Small 562 yen, Medium 637 yen (inc. tax)

DEAN & DELUCA operate a number of different style of stores in Japan and these drinks will be available in all café stores.

Fifteen of their grocery/market stores in the following locations will also offer the new drinks:

Roppongi
Shinagawa
Yurakucho
Shinjuku
Ebisu
Hiroo
Yaesu
Atre Kawasaki
Tama Plaza
CIAL Yokohama
Nagoya
Kyoto
Osaka
Okayama
AMU PLAZA HAKATA

Customers will be able to order these drinks from 26th December 2024 until 15th January 2025.

If DEAN & DELUCA’s New Years offerings don’t excite you, the selection of new drinks available from 26th December in Japan also includes warabimochi tea from Gong Cha, a pair of floral themed teas at Starbucks and matcha and hojicha teas at Tully’s Coffee.

Source: Official Website