Today’s peak bloom announcement was haunted by the presence of a new entrant to DC’s spring beverage scene: National Cherry Blossom Festival co-sponsor LaCroix’s cherry blossom flavor sparkling water. The company touts the flavor, introduced to zero coverage in local DC media coverage on February 14, as the “dazzling taste of blossoming Spring!”—in a press release it says the water evinces the “bliss, fragrance and calming essence of this brilliant flower.”
Cherry blossoms and cherries are not the same thing, yet, much to the befuddlement of one of Washingtonian‘s food reporters, cherry blossom specials that taste like the stone fruit sprout reliably around town each spring.
Kayla Benjamin, who covered today’s peak-bloom announcement, tried a can of the new LaCroix flavor. Though admittedly not a fan of sparkling water, she says the drink, which is clear and not pink, tastes “more like how flowers smell than I expected; more blossom taste in this than the fruit tastes in their usual ones.” She says she remains un-dazzled. The rest of the staff intends to try the beverage as soon as possible.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
