Sharbat Sekanjabin (Persian Vinegar Syrup Drink)

Sharbat Sekanjabin is a Persian simple syrup vinegar served as a refreshing, summer drink over ice with water or sparkling water. It is traditionally made with honey as the sugar, and infused with mint. It is then served with grated cucumber in the glass. This traditional version is one of the recipes in this post.

This post will show you how to make 9 different flavors of sekanjabin syrup that you can serve in 12 different delicious combinations.

Sekanjabin is a type of sharbat – both are popular Persian iced drinks. Sharbat are sweet syrups, and sekanjabin are sweet and sour vinegar-syrups. Both are served cold over ice, and diluted with water or sparkling water.

They are believed to have originated in Iran in the 11th century. It is also said that shrubs, syrups, sherbet, sorbet, and even the julep are known descendants of sharbat. “The term “shrub” is borrowed from the Arabic word sharāb meaning, ‘to drink.'”

Shrubs, syrups, sherbet, sorbet, and even the julep are all known descendants of sharbat. Think of sharbat as the head of the family tree of all these amazing beverages and recipes.

Sekanjabin can also be served as a dipping syrup with romaine lettuce. It’s the perfect snack for a hot day! It is pronounced seh-KAN-jāh-bean.

The Basics of Making Sekanjabin

To make any sekanjabin, you will need water, sugar (granulated, turbinado, or honey), and vinegar (champagne or apple cider). You can also add flavors like fruits, roots like ginger, and herbs.

The base of a sekanjabin is a simple syrup, with vinegar added at the end of simmering. The mixture continues to simmer to evaporate out that strong, acidic flavor, leaving behind a delicious, balanced, sweet and sour syrup.

You can infuse flavors into the syrup before and after you add the vinegar. Fruits and roots like ginger are added before removing the vinegar-syrup from the heat, and more delicate flavors like fresh herbs are added once the vinegar-syrup is removed from the heat and infused as it cools.

To serve, you will need ice, water or sparkling water. You can also add fresh fruit like melons or berries, cucumber, and fresh herbs. See serving inspiration here.

How to Make this Recipe – 9 Flavors

For all 9 recipes, start by adding 1 cup of water and 1.5 cups of sugar to a saucepan. You can use granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, or honey.

Mint

Turn the heat to medium and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of champagne or apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 1 more minute.

Remove from heat. Add the mint. Steep at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

See the serving combinations here.

Ginger

Add 1/2 cup of thinly sliced ginger. Turn the heat to medium and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of champagne or apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

Steep at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. Strain out the ginger.

See the serving combinations here.

Jalapeño

Add 2 thinly sliced jalapeños. Turn the heat to medium and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of champagne or apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

Steep at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. Strain out the jalapeño.

See the serving combinations here.

Strawberry Mint or Strawberry Basil

Add 1 cup of stemmed and halved strawberries, large ones quartered. Turn the heat to medium and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of champagne or apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

Add the mint or basil. Steep at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

Pick out the mint or basil and blend the mixture. Strain out the strawberry seeds with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag.

See the serving combinations here.

Ginger Mint or Jalapeño Mint

Add 1/2 cup of thinly sliced ginger or 2 thinly sliced jalapeños. Turn the heat to medium and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of champagne or apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

Add the mint. Steep at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. Strain out the mint and ginger or jalapeño.

See the serving combinations here.

Rose Mint or Orange Blossom Mint

Add 1/4 cup of rose water or orange blossom water. Turn the heat to medium and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of champagne or apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

Add the mint. Steep at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. Strain out the mint.

See the serving combinations here.

12 Combinations to Try

To serve, fill a glass with ice. Pour in the syrup and water or sparkling water at a ratio of 1:4 to 1:6 depending on your sweetness preference.

The serving suggestions below assume 1-1.5 cups of water or sparkling water are added.

1. Cucumber Mint: Grate ½ of a Persian cucumber into the glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
2. Mint: Serve with a sprig of fresh mint.
3. Ginger: Serve with a slice or wedge of lime.
4. Jalapeño: Serve with a few thin slices of jalapeño.
5. Strawberry Mint: Serve with a sprig of fresh mint and a few sliced strawberries.
6. Strawberry Basil: Serve with a sprig of fresh basil and a few sliced strawberries.
7. Ginger Mint: Serve with a sprig of fresh mint.
8. Jalapeño Mint: Serve with a sprig of fresh mint and a few thin slices of jalapeño.
9. Rose Mint: Serve with edible roses and a sprig of fresh mint.
10. Watermelon Jalapeño Mint: Take 3-5 1-inch watermelon cubes and smash them using a cocktail muddler or mortar and pestle. Add the juice and watermelon chunks to the glass. Garnish with a few thin slices of jalapeño and a sprig of fresh mint.
11. Matcha Mint: Add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder to a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk together to remove all the clumps, preferably with a matcha whisk. You can also sift in the matcha powder to help reduce clumping. Add to the glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
12. Orange Blossom Mint: Serve with edible flowers and a sprig of fresh mint.

Make this Recipe for a Crowd

To make a batch for a large crowd, fill a pitcher with syrup and water or sparkling water at a ratio of 1:4 to 1:6 depending on your sweetness preference. Chill in the refrigerator, and add ice just before serving.

You can serve the garnishes like grated cucumber, smashed or blended melon, and fresh mint on the side with plenty of extra ice cubes.

To serve as a snack, simply serve in a small bowl next to romaine lettuce leaves.

Keep the sekanjabin in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will last for a very long time.