Tart Cherry Noir
Deep sour cherry with a whisper of almond.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | ml | oz |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka | 50 ml | 1⅔ oz |
| Tart cherry syrup · homemade, P07 | 20 ml | ⅔ oz |
| Fresh lemon juice · homemade, J01 | 15 ml | ½ oz |
| Amaretto | 5 ml | 1 tsp |
Ounces are rounded; measure in ml for accuracy. Homemade items link to their own page.
chilled coupe
shaken with ice, served up
a cherry
The story
Early summer in Iran means albaloo, sour cherries, piled in market crates. Families sit together pitting them by the kilo for albaloo polo, the jewel-red celebration rice, for jam, and for the deep red sharbat kept in the fridge all summer. Sour cherry and almond are old friends, since the almond flavor lives in the cherry stone itself.
Method
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a cherry.
How it tastes
Deep, tart cherry with lemon brightness and a soft marzipan finish.
Persian taste: torsh (sour)
Pair it with
- Food: Saffron chicken (joojeh kebab) bites.
- Sweet: Sour cherry jam with sarshir, clotted cream, on warm bread.
- Snack: Dried sour cherries
Variations
Without amaretto
Leave out the amaretto for a purer, sharper cherry.
Gin noir
Use gin instead of vodka.
Alcohol-free
30 ml tart cherry syrup, 15 ml lemon, soda water and ice. Sharbat-e albaloo.
Balancing tips
- Check cherry juice brand; sweetness varies.
- Amaretto is optional; test with and without.
Allergens
- Amaretto may contain nuts or apricot kernel (check label)
- Contains alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
Development notes
- Status: draft recipe, not yet taste-tested.
- Test amaretto omission separately.
- 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.
All of Iran, imagined
