Silky and lush, this highly fragrant play on the gin fizz stars Kashmiri Saffron, which adds a golden hue and sweet, honeyed notes that perfectly compliments the botanicals in the gin. If you can get your hands on South Asian-crafted gin, we love Stranger & Sons, Pumori, and Terai, just to name a few.
Cooks note: If you want to make this drink egg-free, you can swap in 2 tablespoons of aquafaba for the egg white.
Asha's Saffron Gin Fizz
Silky and lush, this highly fragrant play on the gin fizz stars Kashmiri Saffron, which adds a golden hue and sweet, honeyed notes that perfectly compliments the botanicals in the gin. If you can get your hands on South Asian-crafted gin, we love Stranger & Sons, Pumori, and Terai, just to name a few.
Cooks note: If you want to make this drink egg-free, you can swap in 2 tablespoons of aquafaba for the egg white.
Ingredients
FOR THE SAFFRON SIMPLE SYRUP
- 1 big pinch Kashmiri Saffron
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup water
FOR THE COCKTAIL
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce saffron simple syrup
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- Ice
- Club soda
- A few strands of Kashmiri Saffron
Methods
- To make the syrup, pound the saffron into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. Add the saffron and sugar to a medium saucepan. Add the water to the mortar and pestle to get any last bits of saffron off and pour into the pan with the saffron-sugar mixture. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, let cool completely, and transfer to a jar or bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- To make the cocktail, place the gin, saffron simple syrup, lemon juice, and egg white into a cocktail shaker. Seal and dry shake for 30 seconds. Unseal, add a big handful of ice, cover again, and shake vigorously until the outside if the shaker feels icy, 15 to 30 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into one or two glasses (ice is optional). Top with a splash or two of club soda, garnish with a few strands of saffron and enjoy immediately.