Midnight Sun
- Drinking and Thinking
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
A lost classic featuring aquavit. Read and learn!
This is one of my all time favorites, not just because of the references to the land of the midnight sun (Iceland) but also because it's insanely delicious and refreshing and a lost classic from the 19th century. There are so many excellent 21st century sophisticated cocktails that I think become overly complicated and obscure that sometimes it's nice to discover one from long ago that still holds up and is usually much easier to make. However, in this particular case there is one ingredient that should be simple but naturally I make it more complicated, but it's worth it and makes all the difference. I'm talking about grenadine. Yes, that fluorescent sickeningly sweet pink syrup used for Shirley Temples, and NO, not that shit, but the original actual grenadine that you can make yourself relatively easily with just a little time and sourcing.
The key ingredient in this drink is aquavit, which is a full proof primary spirit in the neutral spirits category (vodka) which simply means that its flavor quality is created after the distilling process by infusion in the already distilled neutral spirit rather than by the process itself. Neutral spirits typically are distilled from grains like wheat or potatoes and generally have no taste beyond basic alcohol. Aquavit is a traditional Scandinavian spirit and mostly uses caraway and/or dill to give it flavor, but also includes a variety of other herbs and spices. The Icelandic version is called brennivín which means "burnt wine" and only uses caraway.
For me, aquavit is similar to the Greek ouzo, the Middle Eastern arak or the Italian sambuca which are mostly flavored with anise which has a strong licorice flavor. For some reason I associate caraway with a licorice flavor so that must be the reason. Anyway, my attraction to brennivin specifically and Iceland in general comes from my time spent there in the late nineties which turned me into a fanatical Icelandophile. Since then I have visited several times in recent years and continue to return as often as I can. In fact I have an ongoing photo series about Iceland and Icelanders called Á Landinu which you can check out if you want to see some very "un-touristy" photos. Anyone who knows me is well aware of my obsession with Iceland and is probably sick of hearing about it, but that's not gonna stop me.
Bla bla bla just make the drink and enjoy! It's a bit of prep but it's worth it.
Midnight Sun
1 ½ oz aquavit (brennivín)
½ oz grapefruit juice
½ oz lemon juice
slice of orange as a "sun" garnish
½ oz homemade grenadine*
Shake and fine strain into a coupe, which is the traditional method. I find it more refreshing as a long drink in a collins glass over ice with a splash of soda. Try it both ways!
*grenadine recipe:
8 oz. unsweetened pomegranate juice
8 oz. sugar
4 cloves (optional)
¼ stick cinnamon (optional)
½ oz. lime (optional)
½ tsp. orange blossom water (ESSENTIAL! Available in Asian grocery stores or online at Amazon for a few bucks. Worth it!)
Heat all ingredients (except orange blossom water and lime) without letting it boil, or "cold shake" until all sugar is dissolved. Let cool and add orange blossom water and lime.