At Compass Coffee, we have a special way of defining the dreary drawn out winter season.

We call it the 100 Days of Pain. It’s the stretch from early December to early March when the cold sets in, the days get short, and D.C. enters full hibernation mode.

For us, it’s the toughest time of year. The tourists disappear. The morning rush slows to a trickle. People aren’t lingering in cafes; they’re grabbing their coffee to-go (if they even leave their apartments at all). It’s cold, dark, and brutally slow.

And then—just when we think we can’t take another day of winter—it happens.

The cherry blossoms bloom.

And suddenly, everything shifts.

A City Waking Up

If you’ve ever been in D.C. for cherry blossom season, you know the feeling. It’s not just a change in the weather—it’s a transformation. One day, the city is quiet, still shaking off the winter chill. The next, it’s like someone flipped a switch. The sidewalks are packed. The patios are full. People are out, moving, talking, connecting—living again.

And it’s not just locals. The cherry blossoms are a worldwide attraction. Every year, thousands of people travel from all over the globe just to catch that perfect moment when the trees explode into pink and white along the Tidal Basin. Hotels fill up. Streets are buzzing with visitors holding cameras, maps, and of course the infamous selfie stick. The National Mall becomes a runway of spring fashion, as people swap out their winter coats for pastels, sundresses, and the occasional aggressively floral suit.

For D.C., cherry blossom season is the perfect reset button. After months of trudging through cold, gray streets, people finally defrost. You see it in their faces—the winter blues melting away, replaced by that first rush of warm sunshine. The energy is electric. It’s that feeling of knowing the best months of the year are ahead, and everyone is ready for it.

The entire city gets in on the action. Cherry blossom art floods the streets—on banners, posters, murals, even limited-edition Metro cards. At Compass Coffee, our cafés are decked out in pink, from the cherry blossom tins to the limited-edition graphics that capture the magic of this time of year. And every year, we ring in the season the best way we know how: with coffee.

Cherry Blossom Simple Syrup: Spring in a Cup

Let me take you back to 2018, when I decided to get in on the Cherry Blossom action in a whole new way.

At the time, I was still clinging to my identity as a coffee purist. Black coffee, no sugar, no flavors—just the bean and me. But running Compass Coffee taught me something: not everyone is like me. And when cherry blossom season rolls around, people want to drink spring as much as they want to see it.

So, we went for it. And immediately got it very wrong.

I started in the tiny 4 by nothing kitchen of our 7th street kitchen with an 8-quart pot, a single induction burner, and a mission. First attempt? I went too literal. I thought, “Cherry blossoms are trees, right? Let’s use the real thing!” So I tracked down some cherry blossom extract made from the actual trees. Big mistake. It tasted like bark—yuck. Imagine drinking a cup of espresso mixed with sawdust. I’d swung too hard into “authenticity” and ended up with something even I wouldn’t have choked down in the Marines—and trust me, that was some truly awful coffee.

Next, I overcorrected. If the first attempt was too earthy, maybe I needed to lean into the cherry side of things. So, I loaded up that pot with raspberries, lemons, and cherries. The result? A tart, overly acidic mess that completely clashed with the coffee. It was way too sharp, and when mixed with milk, it somehow got even worse—thin, sour, and just plain wrong. Definitely not the smooth, balanced flavor I was going for.

But we don’t give up easily. After a few more failed experiments, we found the balance. The perfect cherry blossom syrup tastes like spring in D.C.—crisp, floral, and just sweet enough to shake off the last of winter. It has a softness to it, a warmth, the kind of flavor that lingers like the first truly sunny day of the season. And just like that, a Compass Coffee tradition was born.

Today, it’s not me that’s in the kitchen hovering over a single pot and induction burner. We have an entire team that refines and perfects this recipe to capture the magic of cherry blossom season. Every March, you can gauge the end of winter by how many Cherry Blossom Lattes and Cherry Cream Cold Brews you see around the city. And now for the first time ever, I’m spilling the secret recipe right here:

• 1 Bag Sugar
• 800 ml Water
• 4 cans tart cherry
• 50ml Biotta Cherry juice
• 25ml vanilla extract

The Cherry Blossom Blend: A Roast That Stands Out in Spring

Around the same time, our roasting team decided to take on a new challenge—creating a Cherry Blossom Blend that was just as special as the season itself. No gimmicks, no artificial flavors—just great coffee that naturally complemented this time of year.

It took months of trial and error, but we got there: a bright, lightly roasted blend with delicate crisp notes and a hint of fruit sweetness. The kind of coffee that doesn’t just pair well with spring but enhances it. Floral, balanced, and bright, it’s just as good as a morning pour-over as it is over ice in the afternoon.

Every year, our team refines the blend, making small adjustments to keep it at its best. It’s a ritual—one that marks the shift into longer days, warmer mornings, and coffee that feels just right for the season. Here’s the composition of this year’s blend:

50% Guatemala Washed

25% Kenya Washed

25% Honduras Natural

Spring’s Arrival, One Cup at a Time

And just like that, winter is in the rearview. The 100 Days of Pain are over, and D.C. is fully awake again. The streets are buzzing, the patios are full, and the city feels alive in a way it hasn’t in months.

At Compass, we’ve always believed that coffee is more than just a drink—it’s a ritual, a signal, a way to mark time. And there’s no better marker of spring in D.C. than that first sip of a Cherry Blossom Latte or a Cherry Cream Cold Brew.

For us, the season isn’t just about the blossoms—it’s about the people. The ones who have been waiting all winter to come back to their favorite cafes, reconnect, and take in the energy of the city. It’s about crafting something special that makes this time of year even better, whether it’s the perfect syrup, the perfect roast, or just the perfect moment to sit outside and enjoy a great cup of coffee.

So here’s to the season ahead. To long walks by the Tidal Basin, to lighter mornings, and to the return of coffee that makes you want to slow down and savor it. Winter had its run—but this is our time now.