The journal
Long-form, hand-set, occasional.
Craft
The colour of saffron
On the first time we watched a hundred grams of threads turn ten litres of grain spirit into something gold.
Recipes & pairings
Pairing Shiraz Red with saffron rice
A dish from one grandmother, a wine from a continent away, a pairing that has no business being this good.
Craft
The case for cold-macerated saffron
Heat strips saffron of its lighter florals before it gets the chance to bond with the spirit. Cold, slow, patient — and a forty-eight-hour rest you can’t shortcut.
Recipes & pairings
A Persian table at 19:30
Tahdig, an aubergine stew that wants twenty minutes more than the recipe says, and a glass of Saffron Gin with tonic and orange peel. A first-Tuesday-of-the-month menu we serve at home.
Heritage
Why Shiraz, made in the Netherlands?
A grape born in the southern Rhône, named for a city in Iran, finishing its fermentation outside Maastricht. The geography is a coincidence we kept on purpose.
Tasting notes
Tasting note: the 2024 Saffron Beer
Pours amber, drinks dry. Toasted-pistachio finish, light spice on the second sip. The brewer’s notes after the third tank.