Saveh Smoke
Pomegranate and a whisper of peat smoke, from the town of pomegranates.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Bourbon | 45 ml | 1½ oz |
| Peated Scotch whisky | 5 ml | 1 tsp |
| Pomegranate syrup · homemade, P09 | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
| Fresh lemon juice · homemade, J01 | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
Ounces are rounded; measure in ml for accuracy. Homemade items link to their own page.
rocks glass
fresh cubes
a few pomegranate seeds on a pick, or a lemon twist
The story
Saveh, southwest of Tehran, is Iran’s best-known pomegranate town, and its orchards turn red every October. It is also an old town of legends: the medieval traveler Marco Polo wrote that the three Magi who followed the star set out from Saveh and were buried there. This pomegranate sour carries a whisper of smoke, like the charcoal fires of an autumn evening.
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds on a pick or a lemon twist.
How it tastes
Juicy and tart, with ruby pomegranate, bourbon’s vanilla warmth and a faint, smoky finish.
Persian taste: malas (sweet-sour), smoky
Pair it with
- Food: Kebab barg, grilled lamb fillet, with grilled tomato.
- Sweet: Anar lavashak, pomegranate fruit leather.
- Snack: Pomegranate seeds with golpar and salt
Variations
Without smoke
Use 50 ml bourbon and no Scotch.
Mezcal smoke
Use 5 ml mezcal instead of peated Scotch.
Alcohol-free
30 ml pomegranate syrup, 20 ml lemon and soda; add a few drops of smoked saline for smoke.
Balancing tips
- Peated Scotch is very strong; measure 5 ml precisely.
- If too sharp, add 5 ml pomegranate syrup.
Allergens
- No common allergens.
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- Test with the actual Scotch; peat levels vary greatly.
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.
Markazi (Saveh), imagined
