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About this recipe

✨

Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Quince syrup, lemon, honey, mint, ice, and sparkling water turn into a golden Balkan fizz that tastes fresh, nostalgic, and beautifully fragrant. 🍐

Ingredients

• Quince lemon base 🍐
• 🍐 120 ml quince syrup or quince preserve syrup (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
• 🍋 45 ml fresh lemon juice (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍯 25 g honey (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.9 oz)
• 🌿 12 fresh mint leaves
• 🍋 6 g lemon zest strips (from 1 lemon / 0.2 oz)
• 🧂 1 small pinch fine sea salt
• Fizz and ice ✨
• 💧 600 ml very cold sparkling water (2½ cups / 20 fl oz)
• 🧊 360 g ice cubes (3 cups / 12.7 oz)
• 🍐 120 g fresh quince or pear, thinly sliced for garnish (1 small / 4.2 oz)
• 🌿 Extra mint leaves
• 🍋 Lemon wheels
• Optional glass rim 🍯
• 🍯 15 g honey (2 tsp / 0.5 oz)
• 🍋 5 g lemon zest, finely grated (1 tbsp / 0.17 oz)
• 🍬 20 g fine sugar (1½ tbsp / 0.7 oz)

Preparation

• 1 Prepare the glasses 🍯 If using the rim, brush the edge of each glass lightly with honey. Mix fine sugar and lemon zest on a small plate, then dip the rims gently so they catch a thin fragrant layer.
• 2 Build the quince base 🍐 Add quince syrup, lemon juice, honey, mint leaves, lemon zest strips, and a small pinch of salt to a small jug. Stir for 30 sec, until the honey loosens and the mixture looks glossy.
• 3 Lightly crush the mint 🌿 Press the mint leaves gently with the back of a spoon for 10 sec. Do not crush them too hard, because mint can turn bitter if overworked.
• 4 Add ice 🧊 Fill four tall glasses with ice cubes. Add a few quince or pear slices and one lemon wheel to each glass so the fruit sits visibly against the ice.
• 5 Pour the syrup 🍋 Divide the quince lemon base between the glasses, pouring it slowly over the ice so the golden color settles around the fruit.
• 6 Add the sparkle ✨ Top each glass with very cold sparkling water. Pour slowly down the inside of the glass to keep the bubbles lively and clean.
• 7 Stir gently 🌀 Give each drink one gentle stir only, lifting the quince syrup through the bubbles without flattening the fizz.
• 8 Finish fresh 🌿 Garnish with extra mint, a thin quince or pear slice, and a lemon wheel. Serve immediately while the drink is cold, bubbly, and fragrant.

Timing details

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

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