First, make the rose syrup. Combine the sugar and 250ml of water in a small saucepan. Place it over a medium heat and stir gently with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved—you will hear the gritty sound against the pan disappear, and the liquid will turn from cloudy to perfectly clear. Bring it to a gentle simmer, then immediately remove it from the heat.

Add the rose petals. Stir in the dried rose petals until they are all submerged. The kitchen will immediately fill with a soft, sweet floral scent. Cover the pan with a lid and let it steep for at least 2 hours. The longer you leave it (up to 4 hours), the deeper the colour and flavour will be. The liquid will gradually turn a delicate, blushing pink.

Strain the syrup. After steeping, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl or a jug. Press gently on the petals with the back of a spoon to extract every last drop of fragrant syrup. Discard the petals. At this point, stir in the rose water if you are using it. The syrup should look like liquid silk and smell like a garden in full bloom.

Juice the lemons. Roll each lemon firmly on the countertop with the palm of your hand to soften them—this releases more juice. Cut them in half and squeeze every last drop. You should have about 200ml of fresh lemon juice. The bright, sharp smell will cut through the sweetness of the rose syrup beautifully.

Combine the base. In a large jug, whisk together the rose syrup and the fresh lemon juice. Taste it. It should be intensely sweet and sour all at once, a perfect balance. If you want a more vibrant pink, add a drop or two of food colouring now and stir until the colour is even.

Assemble the mocktails. Fill four tall glasses with ice cubes. The sound of ice clinking against the glass is part of the ritual. Pour about 60ml of the rose-lemon base into each glass.

Top with fizz and garnish. Top up each glass with chilled sparkling water, pouring it gently down the side to preserve the bubbles. Give it a very gentle stir. The liquid will look like a gentle sunrise in a glass. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint and a few fresh rose petals floating on top.