Roses have been associated with romance for centuries, so for the month in which we celebrate Valentine’s Day, we have created a couple of beautiful rose-infused cocktails!

Wait - don’t be put off by thoughts of heavily perfumed drinks that taste like grandma’s pot pourri - the key here is to keep the rose at very, very subtle levels, and to pair it with gorgeous flavours that help balance that floral sweetness with subtle spice!

With that in mind, these totally seductive tipples both use a delicious rose and cardamom syrup to add a subtle hint of exotic Middle Eastern scents and flavours.

It’s super easy to make your own syrup at home, and leftover syrup can be used in all sorts of drinks (try it in tea, iced tea or lemonade) or in cakes and desserts (it’s fabulous drizzled over ice cream).

To make your rose and cardamom syrup:

• Combine 100ml of water and 100g of sugar in a saucepan with one tbsp of dried rose petals and nine cardamom pods

• Simmer gently until the sugar and water have combined into a syrup

• Strain and cool before use. That’s it! Keep leftover syrup in a cool, dark place, or the fridge.

We’ve used our fabulous Gin of the Month for 2020, GŴYR Rhamanta Gin, but you could also use any good quality London Dry Gin.

---

Persian Rose

50ml GŴYR Rhamanta Gin
1 tbsp of cardamom and rose syrup
25ml lemon juice
Crushed ice and a drizzle of rose and cardamom syrup, to serve

Fill a Collins or highball glass with ice cubes or crushed ice. In a shaker, combine your gin, syrup and lemon juice. Shake and strain over the crushed ice. Finish the drink with an extra drizzle of syrup. Garnish with rose petals and/or a slice of lemon to serve.

---

GŴYR Gin’s Persian 75

1 tbsp rose and cardamom syrup
25ml GŴYR Rhamanta Gin
Chilled sparkling wine, to top up
Drizzle of grenadine, to serve
Pomegranate seeds, to garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add your syrup and gin, and shake and strain into a Champagne flute. Top up with chilled sparkling wine. Drizzle over a little grenadine, top with pomegranate seeds and serve.