Vingólf
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 45 ml Rye
(Preferably Stauning Rye)
- 15 ml Sweet Vermouth
- 22,5 ml Riga Black Balsam Currant
- 15 ml White Creme de Cacao
- 2 dashes Cacao Bitters
- Absinthe
GARNISH:
- Orange Twist
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with absinthe and dump the excess.
(Alternatively use atomizer to spray absinthe on top of the finished cocktail.)
• Combine rest of the ingredients in a mixing glass.
• Add ice and stir until chilled (approx. 30-40 sec. or 60 revolutions).
• Strain into a prepared cocktail glass.
• Garnish with an orange twist.
Vingólf is my latest creation using Stauning Rye whisky from Denmark and Riga Black Balsam Currant from Latvia. A boozy fusion of ingredients from North Europe with cacao notes of the tropics.
I have experimented with Stauning Rye quite a lot, so this will be the first cocktail of many more to come.
Oak notes of Stauning whisky with subtle, smooth, slightly fruity finish is incredibly tasty. Due to this fruity quality it pairs fantastically well with deep bitter-sweet currant notes of Riga Black Balsam Currant, blending together into a completely new experience. Sweet vermouth binds the two together with its sweet herbal notes while at the same time increasing the complexity. At this point in the process there was still something missing and I decided try adding some crème de cacao and bitters to pair with the deep taste notes of the cocktail and make it just a touch more decadent. I highly recommend adding a couple of absinthe sprays with the atomizer. Anise notes mixes with the cacao complementing each other, and being sprayed on top it is strongly present in the beginning, while fading away towards the end. Letting the cocktail develop and become sweeter over time.
Being strong cocktail with strong flavors, it required a strong name. For that I turned to Norse mythology. Vingólf is a hall where righteous men and those fallen in battle gather after death. I would like to hope that this drink being dark, strong and flavorful can stand up to this name.