December 5, 2017

The Potential Reviver



The name of this new Danish cocktail might lead you to believe it is a riff on a Corpse Reviver - it's not really - more like the child of a Mai Tai and a Corpse Reviver.

It's that rare bird: A gin based Tiki cocktail.

That is probably what attracted me to it when I came across the recipe in a new book on Danish gin.

The book - Danske gin og ginmagere (Danish gins and gin makers - full review in Danish here) - is written by Christian Wendelbo who happens to be the son of a dear colleague.

Not only does the book cover a great number of new Danish gins and a few of the established ones like Geranium and Jensen, it also offers more than 30 cocktails developed to suit each individual gin.

On top of that there is a nice introduction to both gin history and the science of distilling. And then a good starting point for anyone wanting to get started shaking cocktails at home. Even the Gin and Tonic drinker get's nice pointers about which gin goes with which tonic.

So a very interesting book that quickly left me thirsty for a drink.

When I came across The Potential Reviver I knew I had found the one to try first. I did not have the gin this cocktail was developed for - Marstal no 31 - but I substituted an orange forward gin instead:

  • 4 cl gin - I used Copenhagen Orange Gin
  • 1 cl aquavit - I used D Argentum
  • 1 cl orange liqueur - I used Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
  • 1 cl banana liqueur - I used Giffard Banane du Bresil
  • 1 cl orgeat - I used Giffard
  • 2 cl lemon juice
  • 2 dashed orange bitters - I used Angostura Orange
Add everything to a shaker, fill the shaker with ice, shake and then double strain into a Tiki or old fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with orange.



June 28, 2017

Imperial Opal


Danes are up there with the Dutch and the Finnish when it comes to eating licorice as candy. Perhaps unsurprisingly that has given rise to a host of ready mixed shots flavored with the most popular types of licorice.

I wish it would open more peoples tastebuds - and eyes - to a cocktail like the Imperial Opal. Rich in licorice taste from the anise in both absinthe and anisette.

It heralds from Maison Premiere in Brookly, New York.  All though there is an Opal cocktail in William Schmidts The Flowing Bowl from 1891  - only the absinthe seems a common denominator.

And naming an absinth based cocktail anything opal - seems a very obvious thing to do.


  • 3 cl absinthe - I used La Clandestine
  • 1 cl anisette - I used sambuca
  • 1 cl simple syrup
  • 1,5 cl yellow Chartreuse
  • 3 cl water
  • rose tincture or rose water
Measure all but the last ingredient into a shaker, fill it with ice and shake. Strain into a low glass filled with crushed ice and drop a bit of rose tincture or rose water on top. Garnish with lemon, rose and perhaps lavender.


April 2, 2017

The Beachbum


It is time for this ginhound to declare: The Mai Tai is my favorite cocktail.

I often get asked: What's your favorite, and I always say something along the lines of: I have many, it depends on the circumstances...

But if I were to live the rest of my life out on a - somewhat - desert island, where they would only serve me one cocktail, I would choose the Mai Tai over contenders like Last Word, 20th Century, Corpse Reviver Nr. II and Sazerac.

However I am not a Mai Tai fundamentalist - I've come late to the cocktail and have very limited experience of botched versions served at bars with no reverence for the traditions of Tiki - or cocktails.

I have no qualms tweaking it and I find that adding a tiny amount of good Amaretto to the recipe retro engineered by Jeff Berry is my favorite. A true crowd pleaser - I have also had some succes with making a riff - Tøppe aka The ESC has a small following among my friends and coworkers.

So when I came across another riff the Beachbum I hopped to it.

  • 2 cl fresh lime juice
  • 2 cl fresh pineapple juice
  • 1 cl orgeat
  • 1 cl Apricot Brandy
  • 3 cl light rum - I used Plantation 3 Star
  • 3 cl golden rum - I used Mount Gay 1703
Measure everything into a shaker, add ice, shake and strain over ice into a low glass - garnish with spent lime shell and garish cherry.