Shimla Sarsaparilla

Shimla is a city nestled in the Himalayan foothills and I was first introduced to it through a Tamil movie I watched as a kid. I remember scenes filled with bright red roses and that’s what stuck most with me. When I think of Shimla, I think of roses.
The flavour of rose features heavily in my childhood. The combination of musky, saccharine rose syrup and lime cordial was a popular drink doled out at family functions. It contained everything I ever wanted in a drink - sugar. I also fondly remember Sarsaparilla (or Sarsi, for my fellow 90s Singaporean kids) which, equally sugary, was my fizzy drink of choice.
This cocktail, however, is a much less sweet, and much more adult take on these nostalgic flavours.

Shimla Sarsaparilla

2 shots of Chai-Infused Vodka
1 shot of lime juice
1 dash of rosewater
3 shots of Sarsaparilla

Stir with ice, strain, and enjoy.