Ottoman Sherbet

Şerbet (sherbet) is the ancestor of the modern soft drink — a sweetened, flavoured water drink that was the primary non-alcoholic refreshment of the Islamic world for centuries before coffee became widespread. The word entered English as "sherbet" (and eventually influenced "syrup" and "sorbet"), reflecting how completely the Ottoman drink culture shaped European beverage vocabulary.

Ottoman palace şerbet was an art form: the "şerbetçibaşı" (chief sherbet maker) of Topkapı Palace was a prestigious court position, responsible for preparing dozens of varieties using rose water, pomegranate, tamarind, violet, mastic, and seasonal fruits. Cold şerbet was delivered from snow stores on Mount Olympus (in Bursa) throughout the summer — the original chilled drink, pre-refrigeration.

Our Ottoman Sherbet pairs a traditional fruit sherbet with sparkling water, creating the soft drink as the Ottomans would have imagined it with the technology of today. It is the direct ancestor of every flavoured sparkling drink you have ever had — the lineage runs from the Topkapı Palace kitchens of the 16th century to this glass.