Rose & Nightingale
Cherry, sweet lemon and rose, the lovers of Persian poetry.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka | 45 ml | 1½ oz |
| Cherry Heering | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
| Fresh Persian sweet lemon juice · homemade, J09 | 25 ml | 0.8 oz |
| Fresh lemon juice · homemade, J01 | 5 ml | 1 tsp |
| Agave nectar | 2.5 ml | ½ tsp |
| Culinary rose water | 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 few food-grade rose petals
The story
In Persian poetry and painting, the nightingale (bolbol) is forever in love with the rose (gol). He sings to her all night; she blooms for him, and wounds him with her thorns. The motif, gol-o-bolbol, is painted on lacquer boxes, book covers and pen cases, and it fills the poems of Hafez and Saadi. This romantic drink is built on Iran’s winter sweet lemon, cherry and a few drops of rose.
Method
- Squeeze the sweet lemon just before making the drink; its juice turns bitter if it stands.
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Scatter a few rose petals on top.
How it tastes
Soft and floral, with dark cherry, gentle sweet-lemon perfume and a fleeting scent of rose.
Persian taste: shirin (sweet), floral
Pair it with
- Food: Saffron chicken skewers or mild cheese.
- Sweet: Loz, delicate Persian almond or coconut lozenges.
- Snack: Dried white mulberries
Variations
Ordinary-lemon version
Replace the sweet lemon with 15 ml ordinary lemon juice and use 5 ml agave. Sharper, not an exact substitute.
Gin rose
Use gin instead of vodka.
Balancing tips
- Sweet lemon is almost acid-free; the 5 ml lemon keeps the drink balanced.
- Rose water strength varies; start with 2 drops (never more than ⅛ teaspoon).
- Don’t add tart cherry syrup as well; Heering carries the cherry.
Allergens
- No common allergens.
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- Confirm citrus, rose-water strength and sweetness.
Watch it mixed
Follow along
Steps light up as the animation plays. Tap a step to jump to it.
Heads-up: this animation was rendered from an earlier draft, so the amounts on screen differ slightly. Follow the ingredient table above.
All of Iran, imagined
