About this recipe

✨

Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Sour cherry depth, elderflower perfume, lemon sparkle, and icy fizz make this Balkan cocktail feel elegant, refreshing, and instantly memorable. 🍒

Ingredients

• Cherry base 🍒
• 🍒 240 ml sour cherry juice, chilled (1 cup / 8 fl oz)
• 🍋 40 ml fresh lemon juice (2 tbsp + 2 tsp / 1.35 fl oz)
• 🌸 45 ml elderflower syrup (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍯 15 g honey or sugar syrup, optional (1 tbsp / 0.5 oz)
• 🧂 1 tiny pinch fine sea salt
• Fizz and garnish ✨
• 💧 400 ml sparkling water, very cold (1⅔ cups / 13.5 fl oz)
• 🧊 300 g crushed ice (3 cups / 10.6 oz)
• 🌿 12 fresh mint leaves
• 🍒 8 sour cherries or dark cherries, for garnish
• 🍋 4 thin lemon wheels

Preparation

• Chill the glasses 🧊 Place 4 tall glasses in the fridge for 10 min, or fill them with ice water while preparing the drink. Cold glasses keep the fizz sharper and the color brighter.
• Mix the cherry base 🍒 In a jug, combine sour cherry juice, lemon juice, elderflower syrup, honey or sugar syrup if using, and a tiny pinch of salt. Stir for 20 sec until smooth and glossy.
• Add mint gently 🌿 Lightly clap the mint leaves between your palms to release aroma. Add them to the jug and stir gently for 5 sec. Do not crush them too much, so the drink stays clean and fresh.
• Build over ice 🧊 Fill each chilled glass with crushed ice. Pour the cherry base evenly into the glasses, filling each glass about halfway.
• Add the sparkle ✨ Top each glass with very cold sparkling water. Stir once from bottom to top with a long spoon, just enough to blend without losing the bubbles.
• Garnish and serve 🍋 Finish each glass with cherries, a lemon wheel, and a mint sprig. Serve immediately while the drink is cold, bright, and fizzy.

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