Darband Evening
Sour plum, tea and a pinch of salt, an evening walk up the mountain.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka | 45 ml | 1½ oz |
| Sour plum cordial · homemade, P22 | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
| Apricot liqueur | 7.5 ml | ¼ oz |
| Chilled Persian black tea · homemade, P30 | 15 ml | ½ oz |
| Plain saline · homemade, P29 | 2–3 drops |
Ounces are rounded; measure in ml for accuracy. Homemade items link to their own page.
chilled coupe
shaken with ice, served up
a small strip of lavashak on a pick
The story
On summer and autumn evenings, Tehranis escape the city by walking up the river valley at Darband, at the foot of the Alborz. The path is lined with cafés on wooden platforms over the rushing water, where people sit for tea and qalyan, and with stalls of lavashak, salted sour plums and dried fruit. This drink is that walk: tart plum, a little apricot, a splash of tea and a pinch of salt.
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a strip of sour lavashak on a pick.
How it tastes
Mouth-watering and lively, with sour plum and apricot, a light tannic grip from tea and salt that makes the fruit pop.
Persian taste: torsh (sour), shoor (salty), gas (tannic)
Pair it with
- Food: Baghali, steamed fava beans with golpar and salt, and laboo, steamed beets, Tehran’s winter street snacks.
- Sweet: Noon khamei, Tehran’s cream puffs.
- Snack: Lavashak and balal, grilled corn, from the Darband path
Variations
Gin evening
Use gin instead of vodka.
Salted plum
Use the salted plum version of P22 and skip the saline.
Alcohol-free
30 ml sour plum cordial, 30 ml cold tea, a pinch of salt and soda water.
Balancing tips
- Salt should be felt, not tasted: start with 2 drops.
- Too tart? Increase apricot liqueur to 10 ml.
Allergens
- No common allergens.
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- Confirm tea and saline amounts.
- Inspiration: Original house recipe.
Watch it mixed
Follow along
Steps light up as the animation plays. Tap a step to jump to it.
Tehran (Darband), imagined
