Chehel Giah
Gin, a cordial of Kashan's herb waters, sour cherry and lime, with a rosebud on top.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Gin | 25 ml | 0.8 oz |
| Chehel giah cordial · homemade, P46 | 25 ml | 0.8 oz |
| Tart cherry syrup · homemade, P07 | 10 ml | ⅓ oz |
| Fresh lime juice · homemade, J01 | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
Ounces are rounded; measure in ml for accuracy. Homemade items link to their own page.
chilled coupe
shaken with ice, served up
a dried rosebud floating and a lime twist
The story
Kashan is the city of distillates. In spring the Qamsar stills run on roses, and the rest of the year on everything else: mint, fennel, willow blossom, and chehel giah, the “forty herbs” water that every Iranian grandmother pours for a bad stomach. None of it is alcoholic; it is the medicine cabinet, bottled. This drink puts that shelf in a glass: equal parts gin and our chehel giah cordial, a spoon of tart cherry syrup for colour and depth, lime to hold it together. Nothing in it is bought but the gin.
Method
- Chill a coupe.
- Shake the gin, cordial, tart cherry syrup and lime juice with ice for 12 seconds.
- Double-strain into the coupe.
- Float a dried rosebud and express a lime twist over the top.
How it tastes
Herbal and sharp: fennel and mint first, then the sour cherry underneath, lime holding it tight, gin’s juniper in the finish. Dry, green and sharp.
Persian taste: torsh (sour), talkh (bitter), herbal
Pair it with
- Food: Kashan’s own: a plate of kuku sabzi, or bread with feta and fresh herbs.
- Sweet: Sohan from Qom, or a square of rose-scented halva.
- Snack: Ajil-e shoor, salted mixed nuts
Variations
Aragh
Aragh in place of gin for the all-Iranian version.
Mezcal
Mezcal for gin: smoky and strange.
Long
Top with 60 ml soda in a highball over ice.
Balancing tips
- Equal parts are the frame; move the cordial between 20 and 25 ml to taste.
- Shake hard and serve at once; the herbs fade as it warms.
- Make the cordial fresh; after two weeks it dulls.
Allergens
- No common allergens.
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: original recipe draft v0.1, not yet taste-tested.
- Test cordial at 20 and 25 ml.
- Try a drop of bidmeshk water.
Watch it mixed
Follow along
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Kashan, imagined
