Slap 'N' Pickle (Death & Co. Recipe)

Okay, this is the innovative akvavit cocktail from Death & Co. that I've been looking for. It's the first time that I've seen akvavit used with cucumber garnishes and muddled cucumber. Despite the name, there is nothing pickled in this cocktail: these are fresh cucumbers. It is the pickling seeds like fennel, coriander, and anise in the akvavit, and the celery bitters that give this drink its pickled character.

I had already prepared a few of the staple ingredients for this recipe. The first is my homemade akvavit with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey. And I have to say, once you learn to make your own akvavit, it is cheaper and better than the main brands, whatever may be available to you. And mostly you won't find much selection. I also found that making your own celery bitters is very easy and doesn't require gentian root. Just get a tsp. of celery seeds and some bits of chopped celery leaves and stalk and steep them in 100-proof vodka. The longer you steep them, the more bitter they get!

It feels like ten years ago that muddling cucumbers into a shaker was going out of style, but this drink's gimic, if you can call it that, is to put a cucumber spear in the glass to make it look like a pickle. I know why this is done; however, and it isn't for flavor. People at the bar will be wondering and asking about it, so the drink advertises itself.

• 3 cucumber wheels
• 2 oz. akvavit (homemade used)
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• 1 tsp. grenadine
• 2 dashes celery bitters (homemade used)
• 1 cucumber spear garnish

Muddle 3 cucumber wheels in the shaker tin and add the remaining ingredients except for the garnish cucumber. Shake and double strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with the cucumber spear. 

 

Over and Out (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

Death & Co. are renowned for their innovative cocktails back when there were none to be had. Their recipe book includes four akvavit recipes that are all winners; however, this one seems less innovative then the others. 

It's a well known fact that akvavit tastes great with tequila and citrus flavors like orange and grapefruit juice. The unusual part of this recipe is swapping out the typical juice with watermelon. Luckily, it being winter, Blue Monkey makes an excellent fresh watermelon juice in a can just for this occasion. 

Then I couldn't find celery bitters at the liquor store, so I quickly made them the night before: 3 tsp. celery seeds, 1 tsp. chopped celery leaves and an oz. of vodka. Allow to infuse for at least 3 hours.

This drink tastes so much of summer, it is hard to express. And I really wanted to have a summer drink in the middle of a snow storm. Sometimes our preferences are oppositional to our surroundings, which is what cocktails are all about. 

• 1 oz. blanco tequila (Sauza used)
  
• 1 oz. akvavit (homemade with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey used)
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 3/4 oz. watermelon juice (Blue Monkey used)
• 1/2 oz. sugar syrup
• 1 dash celery bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters 

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

Elderflower Grapefruit Akvavit Sour (Moody Mixologist Recipe)

 

Let me go on the record that a list of ingredients in the drink isn't a name. At least we pretty much know how to make this cocktail just by reading the name. But I have to say that there is a lot of good things going on with this cocktail. A Sour is always a crowd pleaser, but the well-kept secret that akvavit and grapefruit juice, plus the elderflower notes of St. Germain, is a stroke of genius. 

Funny enough, I'm using my own akvavit, and even though this bottle of St. Germain is authentic, the liqueur is my own combination of elderflower syrup and raw spirits. It's a good substitution, however. For my raw spirit, I use Smirnoff #56 for hit 100-proof kick. It is also 2-1 with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey in my homemade akvavit. Even if you don't like the herbaceous flavor of akvavit, you should give this cocktail a try. It has a lot of things that will win over most people, even if they are shy about trying unusual spirits. 

• 1 1/2 oz. akvavit (homemade used)
• 1 oz. pink grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur (homemade used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. sugar syrup
• lemon twist

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon zest over the glass and drop it in. 

Great Northern (Difford's Guide)

This is another amazing akvavit cocktail on the Difford's Guide website. Once again akvavit is paired with orange flavors, which works surprisingly well. In this cocktail, though, it is bitter oranges in Lillet Blanc and the sweet and bitter orange notes of triple sec that provide the orange boost, and a fresh orange slice makes for a juicy treat.

Besides the aperitif wine and triple sec, this cocktail differintiates itself from an Akvavit Sour by using honey to provide sweetness. Honey syrup (2:1 ratio honey to hot water) feels more festive than white sugar and gives a drink like this a more natural and rustic style. Underneath all that sweetness is the bold and bracing akvavit with its earthy notes of caraway, anise seed and fennel, which only makes sure that there is plenty of depth in what could have been a bright and sweet orange cocktail.

• 2 oz. akvavit (homemade used)
• 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
  
• 1/2 oz. honey syrup
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• orange slice garnish

Combine all ingredients except orange slice with cracked ice in a shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Garnish with the orange slice.

 

Clockwork Orange #2 (Difford's Guide)

I'm on the lookout for more innovative akvavit recipes lately, and I've turned to Difford's Guide for help finding them. This coffee and orange rocks drink is strong on spirits and bitterness. It is the kind of thing that is really "in" right now, but you usually find bourbon in the bitter cocktails, not akvavit.

And that is where this cocktail jumps off from the traditional thinking. Akvavit is usually consumed chilled and chased with pilsner-style beer. There are few bartenders who know enough about akvavit to mix with it; Difford's guide with its thousands of recipes only displays seven akvavit cocktails. That is why this one is so special. 

I've made a few alterations, using local spirits and omitting chilled coffee to replace it with a shot of MurLarkey coffee whiskey. This whiskey has all the kick of cold brew coffee without the grounds, and without watering down your drink. The akvavit I'm using is my own infusion with MurLarkey Justice white whiskey and vodka. And I like the idea of subbing in a local aperitivo like Don Ciccio & Figili's Ambrosia for the better known Aperol.

I do not have chocolate bitters, and I can see what the chocolate would lend. Often chocolate bitters also contain cinnamon, the point being that your taste buds register the chocolate flavor as chocolate chip cookies or sweet baked goods. So my closest substitute is Hella orange bitters, which is less orange and more of a baking spice bitters anyway.

This stiff cocktail was worth the effort and deserves a quiet half-hour to sip and enjoy uninterrupted.

• 1 oz. akvavit (homemade used)
• 1 oz. Aperol or Italian aperitivo (Don Cicco & Figili Ambrosia used)
• 1 oz. chilled French Pressed coffee (1 oz. MurLarkey coffee whiskey used)
• 1/4 oz. sugar syrup
• dash chocolate bitters (Hella orange bitters used)
• orange zest (flamed)
  

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass with fresh ice cubes (large format preferable). Flame the orange zest by squeezing it into a flame held over the glass and drop it in. 

AquaBeet Martini (Original Recipe)

Is that a pickled beet in your Martini? I think the better question is: "Is that even considered a Martini? The answer is yes, insofar as the Dirty Martini is counted along with the classic recipe.

Aquavit is a Scandinavian spirit flavored with caraway and other herbs. It is similar to gin, but it has a lot in common with a flavored vodka. It is savory, so aquavit can be used in Bloody Mary's and briny Martinis. This is important because the brine in this Martini is pickled beet juice!

• 2 oz. aquavit (homemade used but Aalborg or Linie are good or better for this purpose)
• 1/2 oz. pickled beet juice
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Carpano dry used)
• pickled beet

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the pickled beet. 

Aquavit Sour

If you can make a sour out of just about anything, why not make it with Aquavit? The Nordic spirit is very light, almost like a dry gin. It goes with tart, sweet and savory cocktails. It just stands to reason that this cocktail will work.

With that in mind, remember that caraway and coriander flavors are toasty and fit savory drinks. Its probably better to go a little easier on sugar and let the acid and herb flavors dance here.

• 2 oz. aquavit
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar or 1/2 oz. sugar syrup (or to taste)
• maraschino cherry and orange zest garnishes

Combine aquavit, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist and maraschino cherry. 

Danish Borscht

Borscht is a mild tasting beet soup common in Eastern and Northern Europe. It is the perfect ingredient to add savoriness as well as sweet notes to a cocktail made with aquavit. It also creates a beautiful red color.

This blender drink (and I do recommend using a blender for the right texture) is a lot like having a cold soup with alcohol at the same time. The effect of the sour cream gives it additional texture that is so enjoyable, you forget that it is a cocktail you are drinking.

• 1-2 oz. aquavit
• 4 oz. cold beet borscht
• dash Tabasco sauce
• dash lemon juice
• sour cream

Combine aquavit, borscht, lemon and hot sauce with cracked ice in a blender. Blend until thick, not watery, and pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Add a dollop of sour cream on top as a garnish.

Akvatini

It only stands to reason that akvavit would make a fine savory cocktail. Add to it the pickled flavor of anchovies and you have something very Scandanavian!

I've not been a big fan of anchovies until now. It seems that you have to adjust your palate to them, and part of that comes with proper pairings. Akvavit is the key, I think. It's hard to find anchovy-stuffed olives, so I just did it myself. No big deal.

• 2-3 oz. Akvavit
• 1 dash to 1/4 oz. dry vermouth
• anchovy stuffed olives

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

The Oresund

The Oresund refers to the strait that separates Denmark from Sweden. The use of aquavit or akvavait is what separates this Bloody Mary variation from many others.

Aquavit is a Scandinavian herbal infusion in vodka. It is savory, with lots of caraway as the principal ingredients, but also extending to coriander, fennel, and anise seed. That's what I added to my homemade aquavit. You can buy yours from the liquor store if its available where you live, but it is a lot of fun to experiment with flavor combinations. Learning to love aquavit is its own pleasure.

• 2 oz. akvavit (aquavit)
• 2 oz. V-8 juice
• 2 oz. tomato juice
• 2 oz. clam juice
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 
• pinch of finely chopped dill
• pinch finely chopped parsley
• sprig of fresh dill for garnish

Combine all ingredients except for garnish in a Collins or highball glass full of ice and stir. Garnish with the dill sprig. 

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.