🍑 Suanmeitang

Smoked sour plums, hawthorn, osmanthus, rock sugar — China's thousand-year cooler

1 hr + chill
Serves 1
Sweet & Sour
Short glass over ice
0% ABV
Ingredients
  • 50g dried sour plums (wu mei)
  • 30g dried hawthorn berries (shan zha)
  • 15g dried osmanthus flowers (gui hua)
  • 10g liquorice root
  • 2 litres water
  • 80g rock sugar
  • Ice & osmanthus flowers to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    RinseRinse all dried ingredients in cold water.
  2. 2
    BoilCombine all ingredients except rock sugar with water in a large pot. Bring to boil.
  3. 3
    SimmerReduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until the liquid is deep amber-brown and fragrant.
  4. 4
    SweetenAdd rock sugar and stir until dissolved. Taste — it should be sweet-sour with a slight smoky depth.
  5. 5
    Strain & chillStrain through fine sieve. Cool completely. Refrigerate.
  6. 6
    ServeServe very cold over ice. Garnish with osmanthus flowers.

About This Drink

Suanmeitang (酸梅汤) has been sold on Beijing's streets since at least the Song dynasty (960 CE). It was the imperial court's favoured summer drink, described in classical texts as 'clearing the summer heat and nourishing the spirit'. Today it is sold from street stalls, restaurants, and in bottles across China.

Bartender's Tips

All ingredients are available at Chinese grocery stores — look in the dried herb section. The wu mei (smoked sour plums) give the smoky depth that defines the drink. Rock sugar gives a cleaner sweetness than white sugar. For a shortcut, pre-made suanmeitang powder is widely available at Asian supermarkets.

Origin
Source
Beijing street staple; served at Din Tai Fung and traditional Chinese teahouses
Origin
China (Song dynasty, 960 CE)
Difficulty
Medium · 1 hr + chill
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