Ingredient

Cardamom

A small green pod with a fragrant, slightly camphorous warmth - gin, coffee and chai all gain depth with a couple lightly bruised.

Flavour profile

  • Fragrant
  • Resinous
  • Slightly camphorous
  • Citrus-warm
  • Aromatic
Green cardamom pods, some split open, on a wooden surface

Cardamom is the most photogenic spice on the rack and also the most aromatic. A couple of green pods, lightly cracked, will perfume a whole warm cocktail without ever becoming aggressive. It loves gin and coffee in particular - both share its citrus-cool aromatic register. Use pods rather than ground cardamom; the powder oxidises in days and loses everything that made it interesting.

Recipes featuring cardamom

Cardamom gin fizz in a tall highball glass with lemon twist and green cardamom pod garnish, soft winter light behind.
Spiced Cocktails

Cardamom Gin Fizz

A bright, aromatic fizz built with gin, fresh lemon and homemade cardamom syrup, topped with soda for a lightly warming, perfumed winter highball.

Total 5 minutes
Chai spiced old fashioned in a rocks glass with a single large ice cube, orange twist and cinnamon stick, warm amber colour.
Spiced Cocktails

Chai Spiced Old Fashioned

An old fashioned built with bourbon and a homemade chai syrup of cardamom, clove, cinnamon and ginger, finished with orange peel over a single large ice cube.

Total 5 minutes

Every recipe with cardamom (10)