Rose, Basil & Honey-Vinegar Şerbet: 4 Ottoman Drink Recipes

Long before lemonade and iced tea, the Ottoman palace had şerbet — chilled, fragrant drinks made from fruit, flowers, herbs, and honey that were served to sultans, guests, and the sick alike. Şerbet wasn’t just a refreshment; it was considered a remedy, prepared by dedicated palace şerbetçi (sherbet makers) for weddings, Ramadan, and royal banquets.

In this post I’m sharing four traditional Ottoman şerbet recipes straight from my family kitchen (with a Cappadocian twist, since that’s my mom’s hometown): a rose petal şerbet, a purple basil şerbet, the ancient honey-and-vinegar drink known as sekanjabin (sirke-engübin in Ottoman Turkish), and a spiced mixed-fruit şerbet. If you love the fruit version, don’t miss my original Ottoman sherbet recipe with plums, cherries, and grapes — this post’s fruit şerbet is a Cappadocian variation on that one. None of these require cooking equipment beyond a saucepan, and all four are naturally caffeine-free and dairy-free.

What Is Şerbet, Exactly?

Şerbet (from the Arabic shariba, “to drink”) is the ancestor of the word “sherbet” and “sorbet” — but unlike the frozen Western dessert, Turkish şerbet is always a drink, not a dessert. It’s made by infusing or boiling fruit, flowers, or herbs, sweetening the liquid, then diluting and chilling it before serving over ice. Historically it was believed to aid digestion and cool the body in the summer heat, which is still how most Turkish families think of it today.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Dried or fresh plums and apricots (Cappadocian sun-dried, if you can find them)
• Dried hibiscus flowers
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Whole cloves
• Fresh lemon
• Fresh, dried, or frozen edible rose petals (unsprayed — Damascus rose if possible)
• Fresh or dried purple basil (Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens)
• Honey and light vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well)
• Granulated sugar
• Citric acid (optional, for brightening color)

1. Purple Basil Şerbet (Reyhan Şerbeti)

A fragrant, floral şerbet made by steeping purple basil like tea. If you can’t find purple basil, dried purple basil (sometimes sold as reyhan) works too.

Ingredients

• A generous handful of purple basil leaves (about ⅓ of a bunch), stems removed
• ¼ lemon
• About ½ cup sugar (or honey)
• Hot water, cooled for about 20 seconds

Method

1. Place the basil leaves in a heatproof jar or pitcher.
2. Add the lemon and sugar.
3. Pour in the slightly cooled hot water so you don’t scorch the leaves.
4. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then cover and let it steep like tea.
5. Once brewed, stir in a pinch of citric acid if using (it brightens the color), then strain.

2. Rose Şerbet (Gül Şerbeti)

The most iconic Ottoman şerbet — delicate, floral, and pale pink. Use only pesticide-free, edible roses; Damascus roses from Turkey’s Isparta region are traditional.

Ingredients

• A generous amount of fresh or dried edible rose petals
• A squeeze of lemon
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 clove (optional)
• Hot water (about 90°C / not boiling)

Method

1. Add the rose petals to a jar (mixing fresh petals with a little sugar first, as you would for rose jam, deepens the flavor).
2. Add the lemon and sugar, and the clove if using.
3. Pour in hot (not boiling) water.
4. Cover with a clean cloth and let it steep to release the fragrance and color.
5. Strain into a pitcher and chill.

3. Sekanjabin — Ottoman Honey & Vinegar Şerbet (Sirke-Engübin)

The simplest and most ancient of the four. The name combines sirke (vinegar) and engübin (honey) — physicians in the Ottoman era recommended it for digestion and energy. It’s the same family of drink known across the Persian world as sekanjabin.

Ingredients (per 1 cup)

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (apple vinegar is traditional)
• Water, to taste

Method

1. Stir the honey and vinegar together.
2. Add water and mix well.
3. Chill before serving over ice.

4. Mixed Ottoman Şerbet (Spiced Fruit & Hibiscus)

This one is a Cappadocian-style variation on my original Ottoman fruit sherbet recipe — same method, using dried plums and apricots from my mom’s hometown instead of cherries and grapes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried plums, soaked in water
• 1 cup dried apricots, soaked in water
• ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 2–3 whole cloves
• ½ cinnamon stick
• A few slices of lemon
• Sugar, to taste
• Hot water

Method

1. Drain the soaked plums and apricots and add them to a pot.
2. Pour in hot water, then add the hibiscus, cloves, and cinnamon stick.
3. Add a few lemon slices.
4. Simmer for 10–15 minutes.
5. Stir in sugar to taste, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
6. Strain into a pitcher, top up with a little more water to catch the last of the flavor, and chill completely before serving over ice.

[📸 Photo: dried fruit and hibiscus simmering in the pot] [📸 Photo: straining the finished şerbet into a pitcher]

How to Serve Ottoman Şerbet

All four şerbets are concentrated, so dilute them with cold water or ice to taste once chilled. Serve in tall glasses over plenty of ice — rose şerbet first, if you’re doing a tasting flight, since its flavor is the most delicate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ottoman şerbet made of? Traditional şerbet is made by boiling or steeping fruit, flowers, herbs, or honey and vinegar with water, then sweetening and chilling the mixture before serving over ice.

Is şerbet the same as sherbet or sorbet? They share the same root word, but Turkish şerbet is a drink, while Western “sherbet” and “sorbet” are frozen desserts. The word traveled from Ottoman Turkish into Italian as sorbetto in the 17th century.

What is sekanjabin used for? Sekanjabin (the honey-vinegar şerbet) was traditionally believed to aid digestion and restore energy, especially in hot weather or after fasting.

Can I make these şerbets ahead of time? Yes — all four keep well in the refrigerator for several days once strained and chilled, since the sugar and acidity act as natural preservatives.

Watch the full step-by-step video for all four recipes here: Ottoman Şerbet — Turkish Food and Travel

Looking for more refreshing Turkish drinks? Try my freezer-friendly homemade lemonade concentrate or the classic Ottoman fruit sherbet with plums, cherries, and grapes.