🌅 Saffron Sunset

Smoke Lab Saffron Vodka, jaggery, lime, aquafaba & green chili — GupShup NYC

Saffron Vodka (Smoke Lab)
8 min
Dry Shake + Shake
Coupe or Highball
~15%
GupShup
Ingredients
  • 50ml Smoke Lab Saffron Vodka (or regular vodka + 6 saffron strands steeped for 30 min)
  • 20ml jaggery syrup (dissolve 2 tbsp grated jaggery in 60ml hot water)
  • 20ml fresh lime juice
  • 1 thin slice green chili
  • 20ml aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
  • 3 dashes orange bitters
  • Saffron strands & chili slice to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    MuddleMuddle the green chili slice in the shaker base.
  2. 2
    Dry shakeAdd vodka, jaggery syrup, lime juice, aquafaba, and bitters — no ice. Dry shake 15 seconds vigorously to build foam.
  3. 3
    Wet shakeAdd ice. Shake hard 15 seconds.
  4. 4
    StrainDouble-strain into a chilled coupe. The aquafaba foam should be substantial.
  5. 5
    GarnishFloat 3 saffron strands on the foam. Add a thin chili slice on the rim.

About This Cocktail

Smoke Lab vodka is produced by ABD (Allied Blenders & Distillers) in India, where it is distilled from Indian grain and filtered through activated charcoal. The Saffron edition infuses the vodka with real Kashmiri saffron, giving it a golden hue and a floral, lightly spiced profile. GupShup's use of it in the Saffron Sunset was one of the early flagship moments for the growing category of premium Indian spirits on international cocktail menus.

Variations

Saffron GimletSaffron vodka + 30ml fresh lime + 30ml jaggery syrup, no foam — shaken hard, straight up in a coupe
Saffron SpritzAdd 90ml tonic water to the above for a longer, more refreshing summer version
With AmrutReplace vodka with Amrut Fusion single malt — the peaty-fruity Indian whisky with saffron is extraordinary
Bartender Tips

Smoke Lab Saffron Vodka is available in the US at Indian liquor stores and online. Jaggery (gur) — unrefined sugarcane sugar — gives a deeper, slightly molasses-like sweetness that processed sugar cannot replicate. It dissolves easily in hot water. Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) produces a lighter, more floral foam than egg white and is naturally vegan. The green chili should be a background note — if it dominates, you've muddled too hard.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
GupShup, New York City
Spirit
Saffron Vodka (Smoke Lab)
Method
Dry Shake + Shake
ABV
~15%
Vodka Guide All Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
GupShup
Address
409 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10016
Style
Modern Indian cocktail bar & restaurant
Accolades
One of NYC's top Indian cocktail destinations

GupShup (meaning 'gossip' or 'chatter' in Hindi and Urdu) is a celebration of Indian social culture through food and drink. The cocktail menu draws from the full breadth of the subcontinent — paan-inspired drinks, lassi riffs, spiced old fashioneds — with an energy that matches the name. One of the most vibrant Indian drinking experiences in New York City.

Visit gupshup.nyc