Sharbats* are a syrup made from fruit and herbs – this one is particularly good paired with a natural sparkling wine or tonic.
Makes 8 cocktails
100ml honey
100ml pomegranate juice (fresh or bottled, see note for fresh below)
2 tbsp dried rose petals
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Sparkling wine, kombucha, kefir or tonic
1 Add the honey and pomegranate juice to a 300ml (or larger) jam jar. Stir to mix thoroughly.
2 Stir in the rose petals and then add the rosemary to the mix, ensuring it’s fully covered by the honey and juice (snap the rosemary into smaller pieces, if needed).
3 You can use the mixture straight away, but you can also leave it at room temperature for up to 1 week, as it will ferment into a fizzy cordial. It will then need to be refrigerated, where it’ll keep for up to 1 month.
4 To use, strain 1 tbsp of the sharbat syrup into a wine glass and top up with a fizzy drink of your choice.
Bartender’s note: To make fresh pomegranate juice, cut a pomegranate in half horizontally. Cut the halves into wedges by slicing through the thick white membranes that segment the seeds. Use your fingers to tease the seeds out into a sieve (set over a bowl or jug) and simply squeeze the seeds with your hands to extract the juice. It’s very satisfying! Pomegranate juice and rose petals are both great for heart health as they aid circulation, which will also help to keep us warm in winter. The addition of honey and rosemary mean that this cordial has gut-health benefits, too.
*Sharbats were first featured in a monumental tome on health called Canon Of Medicine, written by Persian physician-philosopher Avicenna in the 11th century.
This recipe is from our January issue’s ‘Gathering’ pages, ‘A Taste of Persia’. The menu also includes recipes for Buttery barbari, Tahdig, Fesenjan, Kaale seerabeh salad, Persimmon parfait and Baklava biscuits. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample and the photography by Katharine Davies. The issue is in shops now.
