Behind the bar, saffron earns its place the same way it does in the kitchen: a little, bloomed properly, goes a long way. A few threads of Raihan Afghan Super Negin saffron turn a simple syrup deep gold and lend a drink honeyed depth and a floral, faintly bitter edge that no other ingredient imitates.
The easiest entry to saffron cocktails is a saffron simple syrup: bloom 10 threads in 1/2 cup hot water, add 1/2 cup sugar, dissolve. Use 1/2 oz per drink. Build from there.
Three pro tips
- Use the syrup, not the threads, for clean drinks.
- Pair saffron with pisco, gin, vodka, or aged rum.
- Finish with a single thread garnish across the surface.
Editor's note
Make the syrup a day ahead — the color and aroma keep deepening well past the first 15 minutes of the bloom, and an overnight rest in the refrigerator gives a noticeably rounder drink. Strain the threads out after 24 hours and the syrup will hold for about two weeks, chilled.
Three drinks
- Saffron gin sour: gin, saffron syrup, lemon juice, egg white.
- Saffron pisco punch: pisco, saffron syrup, pineapple, lime.
- Saffron Negroni twist: gin, Cocchi Americano, Suze, 1/4 oz saffron syrup.
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