Wanting to switch up your beverage routine? Whether you’re looking for natural sweeteners and ingredients, hoping to serve something unique to guests, participating in Dry January, or simply want to try something new, we’ve got three drinks that will do the trick. These three are all customary Lebanese beverages. While some of the components may be new to you, these drinks are grounded in traditional ingredients found in every Lebanese pantry. But don’t be intimidated! You’ll find almost all the ingredients needed to create these drinks in our online store, along with staples from your neighborhood grocery.

1. Sahlab: Our first authentic Lebanese drink is perfect for cold winter days as it’s typically served warm. Sahlab is a creamy, comforting milk-based beverage in which the thickness comes from a powder known by the same name (although some use cornstarch if they can’t get their hands on true sahlab). Sahlab can be customized depending on flavor preferences from floral to spiced. Another take on sahlab is to pour it into cups and refrigerate, rather than serve warm. This creates a luscious pudding-like consistency. Along with the milk, sahlab, sugar, and heavy cream, one can add the following to modify the flavor.

1. Rose water or orange blossom water for complex flavor
2. Chocolate, vanilla, or coffee for popular, craveable flavor
3. Cinnamon for warming spices
4. An assortment of toppings can provide even more flavor and texture such as pistachio nuts, cocoa nibs, honey, or coconut flakes

2. Rose Drink: Next is a delicately-flavored drink that’s simple to make, but sophisticated and revitalizing. Water, sugar, lemon, and rose water create the syrup used to flavor this drink. After it’s made, the syrup can be kept in a jar for whenever you’re ready to enjoy a Rose Drink. Simply add one to two tablespoons of the syrup to a glass of ice, fill to the top with water, and stir. Garnish with a lemon slice and pine nuts.

3. Jallab: The last authentic Lebanese drink to try is refreshing and floral. With a few ingredients on hand, you can make this beverage anytime. The simplest version starts with a large glass of water and ice and adds just a couple tablespoons of date molasses and about a teaspoon of rose water. For more depth of flavor, also utilize grape molasses and/or pomegranate molasses. Traditionally, pine nuts and golden raisins are dropped in as the final touch. 

Hopefully you’re feeling inspired to add a new drink into your rotation. But there’s plenty more ways to add Eastern Mediterranean touches to your beverages. Use date or grape molasses to naturally sweeten drinks, use apple molasses to flavor a cold weather mocktail, or get really creative with unique flavorings like za’atar simple syrup for a savory addition to cocktails. Add some of these products to your cart and get to stirring! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see what you’ve created. Cheers!