Persian Rose
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 ¾ oz sweet lemon juice (not regular lemon, not Meyer lemon; see info below)
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ½ oz Cherry Heering (can substitute other cherry-flavored liqueur)
- ¼ oz rosewater
- ¼ oz agave nectar (can substitute simple syrup)
Tools: cocktail shaker, strainer
Glass: chilled cocktail glass or coupe
Garnish: rose petal
Place ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into your glass and garnish with a rose petal if you have one handy.
Those of you not familiar with Persian cuisine may be wondering about this fruit called the sweet lemon. They may look like lemons but they don’t taste anything like regular lemons, as they have a subtle honey-like sweetness and none of the sourness that’s characteristic of both regular and Meyer lemons. They also have a very bitter pith, so rather than peeling and eating as one would an orange, it’s better to also peel the membrane holding the fruit, and eat only the lightly sweet flesh. You can also drink the juice or use it in a cocktail as done here, but bare in mind that as with all citrus, the juice is best when fresh.