Kingston Club

In Denmark we have a special tradition for drinking bitter - yes we drink it, not just as a dash in a cocktail.

For especially older Danes bitter is part of a traditional breakfast of black coffee, a soft boiled egg and half a slice of rye bread, buttered Danish breakfast rolls with cold cuts or cheese, Danish Pastry and then that little glass - same ones we drink snaps (Akvavit) from for lunch - full of a sharp, dark bitter.

One of the most famous local ones is called Old Danish, but then there are the German bitters Jägermeister and Underberg and the Italian Fernet Branca.

So I have some prejudices towards bitters, right?

But I want to understand and appreciate - and I have a bottle of Fernet Branca, in case any of my elderly neighbors come for morning coffee (Danish for breakfast.)

So I looked for a cocktail with Fernet Branca and came across Kingston Club by Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

I would have thought Fernet Branca needed to be matched with dark earthy flavors but he goes the completely opposite direction, and with great success.

• 5 cl Drambuie
• 5 cl fresh pineapple juice
• 2,5 cl fresh lime juice
• 1 tea spoon Fernet Branca
• 3 dashes angostura bitters
• Seltzer

Shake first five ingredients over ice, strain into tall glass filled with ice and top off with the seltzer, garnish with lemon twist.