Shiraz Spring
Orange blossom and elderflower, for the city of poets in bloom.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Gin | 50 ml | 1⅔ oz |
| Elderflower liqueur | 10 ml | ⅓ oz |
| Orange blossom syrup · homemade, P05 | 10 ml | ⅓ 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.
chilled coupe
shaken with ice, served up
small lemon peel
The story
In Persian, bahar means both “spring” and the blossom of the bitter orange tree, and in Shiraz the two are the same thing. Around Nowruz, the narenj trees lining the streets and old gardens burst into flower, and the whole city smells sweet. Shiraz is the city of the poets Hafez and Saadi; visitors still open a book of Hafez at his tomb to take a fal, a fortune from a random verse. This bright gin sour bottles that first spring evening in the garden.
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Express a small lemon peel over the top and perch it on the rim.
How it tastes
Fresh and floral. Lemon-bright, with honeyed orange blossom and a soft elderflower echo, finishing clean and dry.
Persian taste: torsh (sour), floral
Pair it with
- Food: Salad Shirazi, diced cucumber, tomato and onion with lime and dried mint, with warm flatbread.
- Sweet: Faloodeh shirazi, frozen rose-water noodles with lime and sour cherry syrup.
- Snack: Nokhod-kishmish, roasted chickpeas and raisins
Variations
Shiraz spritz
Build in a wine glass over ice and top with 60 ml soda water.
Blossom-water version
Use the orange-blossom-water version of P05; add by the drop and record the brand.
Alcohol-free
30 ml orange blossom syrup, 20 ml lemon juice, soda water and ice. A spring sharbat.
Balancing tips
- Two florals can compete; if elderflower dominates, reduce it to 7.5 ml.
- If the drink tastes bitter, the blossom syrup was steeped too long.
Allergens
- No common allergens.
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- Assess the two floral ingredients together.
- Inspiration: Original house recipe.
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.
Shiraz, imagined
