Danish Manhattan

Okay! I get it. Peter Heering was a Danish liqueur producer (though now his cherry liqueur is made in Sweeden). So I understand the temptation to take a whiskey cocktail and name it a Manhattan even though there is no vermouth and no bitters. The concept is good, but it doesn't taste too much like a Manhattan after all is said and done.

Seagrams 7 Crown is so mellow and Cherry Herring is so sweet, I am unable to find that bite we usually associate with a Manhattan. In keeping with the cherry theme, there's a bit of kirsch here, which does provide a little alcoholic traction, that trenchant fruit brandy flavor that is usually associated with grapa. It's not a bad drink, but maybe a little bit unnecessary. And if I'm feeling that about the name, then maybe a new name is all the Danish Manhattan needs--and maybe some cherry bitters!

• 1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey (Seagram's 7 Crown used)
• 1/4 oz. kirschwasser (Kammer Kirsch used)
• 1/4 oz. Cherry Heering

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Danish Gin Fizz

Cherry Heering, originating in Denmark, makes this Fizz "Danish." The kirschwasser, however is German. And despite that kirsh and Heering are both cherry flavor, the latter is sweetened while the former is dry and made from distilled fermented cherry juice.

This cocktail is rich and colorful--a good spring weather sipper. Fans of Collins or Singapore Slings will appreciate the similarity.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used
• 3/4 oz. cherry Heering
• 1/4 oz. kirsch (Kammer Kirsch used)
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/ 2 oz. sugar syrup
• club soda
• lime slice

Combine the first five ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass full of fresh ice. Top with soda and stir. Garnish with the lime slice. 

Copenhagen Dream

Again the capital of Denmark gets a cocktail named after it. This time it is a citrus and cream like the Tivoli 2. The difference is that there is gin and egg white.

When you do an egg white cocktail in an Old Fashioned glass with ice, you want to blend it--particularly if the drink includes citrus juice and cream. The curdled look on ice cubes is a real turn off. And while you can get away with a drink like this served up or neat, it just looks better on blended ice than it will with cubes or even crushed ice.

Did I like this drink? Not more or less than the Tivoli 2, but gin drinkers, those who like an egg white sour and blended drinks. The aquavit is more understated in this drink because of the gin and it comes off like a before-dinner drink more than a dessert.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination gin used)
• 1/2 oz. aquavit (homemade used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar syrup
• 1 tsp. heavy cream
• 1/2 egg white (or 1 egg white for two drinks: i.e. double the recipe)

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. 

Eric The Red

I've done this cocktail before, but I wanted to return to it with a single malt that is better balanced. I especially liked Highland Park Spirit of the Bear bottling for cocktails. It is fitting to use the distillery that brands itself as the viking scotch for a drink commemorating a viking.

This drinks is rich, but better balanced than the Red Dane (following post) because of the dry vermouth that gives it space and the fact that scotch, especially a single malt like Orkney Highland Park is pretty balanced to begin with. Add to that the high proportion of scotch versus the rest of the ingredients and you have a cocktail that is great and difficult to mess up.

• 1 1/2 oz. scotch (Highland Park Spirit of the Bear used)
• 1/2 oz. Cherry Heering
• 1 tsp. dry vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass with a large cube (or any fresh ice).

Red Dane

This simple drink lives up to its name: it is red and Cherry Heering was invented by a Dane, Peter Heering. It is now produced in Sweden, but who's checking.

Anyway, the idea is simple. This is a black cherry tasting vodka cocktail. It goes without saying that if you like Heering liqueur, you will like this drink because it proofs up the Heering and produces even more volume. I can't help but think that it would be better balanced with lemon juice, but that's a different drink.

• 2 oz. vodka (MurLarkey Divine Clarity used)
• 1 oz. Peter Heering

Combine both ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Copenhagen Cocktail

Scandanavia meets Virginia with this locally made Martini variation. Swapping some of the gin of the traditional Martini for aquavit makes for a spicy treat that is excellent in winter. The Danes like their aquavit with beer and pickles, I included pickled tomatoes, but olives or gherkins will do just fine.

This is an all MurLarkey cocktail with ImaGination Gin and an Aquavit made from MurLarkey Divine Clarity vodka and Justice white whiskey, and bottled with a label from a defunct Danish distiller. It is especially dank. Try it to shake things up with your Martini.

• 1 oz. gin (MurLarkey ImaGination gin used)
• 1 oz. Aquavit (Homemade Akavavit used)
•  dash dry vermouth
• stuffed olives or pickles (pickled tomatoes used)

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with pickles or olives. 

Great Dane

This is a cherry bomb of a cocktail. I haven't made it for a long time because I was waiting until I got some Heering cherry brandy. This liqueur is really not quite a brandy, but it is exactly what is called for in this Danish-themed drink. I also used Common Wealth Gin, which has a very American character and less of a juniper presence so that it wouldn't get in the way of the cherry flavors. kirschwasser, even so small a proportion, really changes the mouthfeel to something stronger and thicker than a gin and liqueur drink.

• 2 oz. gin (Common Wealth used)
• 1 oz. Cherry Heering
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• 1 tsp. kirschwasser (Kammer Kirsch used)
• lemon twist

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.