In 1887 a pharmacist in Kutaisi named Mitrofan Lagidze began flavoring sparkling water with syrups of his own invention, and the one that became famous was tarragon. His tarkhuna went on to win medals abroad, became a favorite across the Soviet Union and is still poured from soda fountains in Tbilisi today. Bottled versions are a startling bright green; the homemade drink is paler, fresher and tastes clearly of the herb, sweet and faintly like anise.

It is served with almost every Georgian meal, and its herbal sharpness cuts beautifully through rich food like khachapuri and grilled pork. The syrup keeps for a week, so one batch will see you through a whole race weekend, and children tend to love it, which means it disappears faster than you expect.

Tarragon syrup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
• 2 large bunches (about 2 oz, 60 g) fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 strip lemon peel

The soda

Ingredients

• 1 quart (1 liter) sparkling water
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 6 small tarragon sprigs

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