How to make it
6 steps. Take it one step at a time.
Combine the water and granulated sugar
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar.
Add the orange zest, grapefruit zest, dried gentian root, cinchona bark
Add the orange zest, grapefruit zest, dried gentian root, cinchona bark, cinnamon stick, cloves, and crushed cardamom pods to the saucepan.
Bring the mixture
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to extract the flavors and slightly thicken into a syrup.
20 minRemove from heat
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the syrup to cool completely in the pan with the botanicals still inside.
Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth
Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean glass bottle. Discard the solids.
To serve, pour 50ml of the syrup
To serve, pour 50ml (1.7 oz) of the syrup into a glass filled with ice and top with 150ml (5 oz) of sparkling water. Garnish with a fresh orange slice.
A little kitchen wisdom
The secret to the authentic flavor is the balance between the citrus peels and the bitter roots like gentian. If you cannot find cinchona bark, you can increase the gentian or use a dash of high-quality aromatic bitters (though this may add trace alcohol).
