:: disclaimer ::

this blog supports responsible drinking. you must be of legal age in your country of residence to continue on this site.

definition

from L., lit. "water of life," 1471 as an alchemical term for unrefined alcohol. Applied to brandy, whiskey, etc. from 1547. Cf. whiskey, Fr. eau-de-vie "spirits, brandy," lit. "water of life."


Akvavit (also spelled aquavit or akevitt) is a flavored spirit that is produced in Scandinavia and typically contains 40% alcohol by volume. Its name comes from aqua vitae, the Latin for “water of life,” and is pronounced /AHKV?-veet/.

history

An apocryphal story holds that akvavit actually means “water from the vine,” a picturesque folk etymology derived through conflation of Latin vitae (genitive of vita) with the Italian vite (vine).

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Making Mom’s Mulled Wine: Ulla’s Gløgg

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Invariably, as kids we knew when we saw the stock pot on the stove with the large bottle of burgundy and the rest of the ingredients next to it that our mother was going to be making her annual batch of gløgg.

Slowly she would assemble the ingredients as  the whole kitchen would begin to swim in the wonderful associated aromas of the holidays. Little by little it would seep into the rest of the house leading anyone who caught whiff of it’s simmering warmth back to the kitchen.  Adults were keen to ask when it would be ready.  The answer would always be – not yet.

As kids in Denmark, we were given a small portion of this  adult concoction with enough to warm our little cheeks to a rosy hue.  The older we got the more of the brew we were allowed.  This ritual followed us to the United States. Whether cooked, baked or brewed, our mother wanted all to experience her Danish food culture.  Because this was not only served in our home; but, bottled for our friends, it  became rather infamous to those who received these tokens of her affection.  It became know as her infamous ‘antifreeze’.  Why you might ask? Well, you see…it could keep you more than warm.  In fact, I once took it to a late fall evening football game.  It was quite cold and everyone in the stands   were bundled up drinking any warm beverage to keep warm to no avail.  We were also very cold and bundled up.   Little did I realize how much the aroma of a single thermos full of gløgg could fill and end zone.  Soon we were not only warm and taking off our scarves and blankets; but, getting inquiries about what we were drinking. My answer was simple. “It’s my mom’s gløgg.” Your mom’s what was their response. “Her gløgg”, I said. Their faces still blank with the foreign word spinning in their head. “It’s Danish mulled wine”, I repeated. Needless to say, those of my friends who received a little of mom’s warm elixir were not disappointed. It’s amazing how the antifreeze properties of gløgg can not only warm the body – but, also the hearts of yours friends.

Today, with my mother gone it’s both a sweet reminder of her from my childhood and one from when years later she taught me how to make it. 

Now this recipe is also yours to share with your friends and family.

 

ULLA’S GLØGG
Servings: 24 – 28 punch cup sizes

INGREDIENTS

3 Sticks Cinnamon
20 Whole Cloves
1c Water – filtered
1c Raisins or Currants
2/3c Slivered Almonds
1/4c Sugar - organic
1/2gal Burgundy / Red Bordeaux
750ml Port
1 cup Rum
1c Akvavit (or Brandy / Cognac)
1 Navel Orange for garnish*

DIRECTIONS
Do Ahead:
1: In deep saucepan or stockpot – add cinnamon, cloves and water. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer ½ to ¾ hour. Strain and keep spicy water. Discard spices.

2: In a gallon kettle – add spicy water, raisins, almonds, sugar, burgundy, port, rum, akvavit (or brandy). Heat thoroughly; but do NOT boil.

3:  Gløgg will become better if you allow a day or two for the spices to mingle.

4: Warm the gløgg up again(see personal serving note below). Right before serving a cup to your guest, add a slice of orange. They will find both a nice treat on top floating in all this goodness and when they get to the bottom they will find nicely spiked raisins and almonds.

…and don’t forget to serve Danish Spice Cookies (Brunekager) or Æbleskiver.


PERSONAL SERVING NOTE: I like using an old mid-century stainless steel fondue pan and the heat stand. Not only does it look damn cool; but, the scent fills the room with amazing aromas. Plus, the capacity is just right for heating up enough to satisfy your guests since all you need is just a little half-cup serving for everyone.


* Always thoroughly wash fruit before you eat or cook them as their skin can be full of pesticides or protective wax.

 

TIPSY TIP: MAKE YOUR OWN GLØGG LABELS 

OPTIONAL GIFT IDEA:

Do steps 1-2, then pour into individually prepared glass bottles (clean thoroughly Julglogg 08 labelwith boiling water) using a funnel to pour liquid safely. Recommend pouring the gløgg into the warm bottles placed in a pan in a sink. This will prevent any nasty spills of the old Danish concoction onto anything that can stain. Seal bottles immediately. Wipe clean with an old towel.

Add a small sampling of a cinnamon stick, raisins and slivered almonds (and yes, cookies) in plastic wrap which can be gathered into a little pouch which is then ribbon around the neck of the bottle with a little tag or make your own labels using 2x4 mailing labels.

Your text can read something like:

“Danish Gløgg: Warm thoroughly with spices over medium heat. Be careful not to boil”. 

Whatever you choose to write your bottled gift will surely be enjoyed.

Shown here is a copy of one of my labels from 2008.

SKÅL!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Nature’s Holiday Anti-freeze: Meyer’s Apple Gløgg

A few years ago I stumbled upon this recipe by our cousin Claus Meyer and have enjoyed it ever since as an alternative to the red wine classic by our mother.  It’s a wonderful cider version that you surely will make again and again to aid in keeping warm on those cold  holiday nights.
Here is the recipe modified a bit by me that I like to call 'Æfterårs Æblegløgg/Autumn Apple Gløgg'.

glogg meyer
Claus Meyer’s ‘Æblegløgg’  (Apple Gløgg)
4 Servings
original Danish recipe here
INGREDIENTS
50g (1/4cup) organic evaporated cane sugar
7cm (3 in) vanilla bean
4 whole cardamom seeds
4 whole cloves
Little bit of fresh grated nutmeg
4 whole allspice seeds
1cm or thin slice fresh ginger
1/2 dl (1.5 oz) organic apple cider vinegar
1 l (4cups) organic cold-pressed apple juice
1 organic apple…diced with skin, ok
50 dried cranberries
almonds (raw)…I like to use either  sliced or slivered
calvados (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1: Melt half of the sugar in a pot over medium heat and allow it to caramelize to a pretty golden color. Add the spices and warm them up in the caramel. Take the pot of warm sugar and add the vinegar and possible a little water if the vinegar cooks completely away. Afterwards add the apple juice, dried cranberries and the rest of the sugar.
2: Gløgg will become better if you allow a day or two for the spices to mingle. Just filter before adding the cranberries and apple.
3: Warm the gløgg up again(see personal serving note below). Right before serving a cup to your guest, add a slice (or small diced pieces) of apple along with some almonds.
4: (OPTIONAL) Add a half cup of calvados to whole batch a little at a time to taste allowing each half cup to heat up before you add more.
PERSONAL SERVING NOTE: I like using an old mid-century stainless steel fondue pan and the heat stand. Not only does it look damn cool; but, the scent fills the room with amazing aromas. Plus, the capacity is just right for heating up enough to satisfy your guests since all you need is just a little half-cup serving for everyone.
fondue1-1
Serve nicely warm with Brunekager / Danish Spice Cookies.
SKÅL!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010

COLORS OF FALL 2010

 botanical banner 01

It’s been a year since my first ‘Colors of Fall’ article on homemade akvavit and it seems apropos to repost it as it is not too late to make your own version before the holiday season. 

   Originally posted September 29, 2009

   COLORS OF FALL

   skål!

Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The original taste test for these three recipes will follow…in my next post.

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Monday, July 12, 2010

OTHER DRINKS: Homemade Limoncello

Here is my bottle label for my first batch of homemade limoncello...with recipe to follow!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010

topless bread: BAKING / Bageri: TWISTED BREAD (snobrød)

topless bread: BAKING / Bageri: TWISTED BREAD (snobrød)
Sunday, July 4, 2010

SOCIAL: DIS Reunion Libations









S k å l !

(first row)
Aalborg Taffel (table) Akvavit + Aalborg Dild (dill) Akvavit 
(second row)
Homemade Julesnaps (2009)




with generous support 
by 
Carlsbery Beer
+
Gammel Dansk Bitters
+
Carlsbery Elefant (Elephant) Beer

Mange tak til alle mine gamle skolekammerater
Many thanks to all my old schoolmates!
Thursday, July 1, 2010

LIBATIONS NEWS: From Beer to Cocktails

NYTIMES / JOURNEYS
Mixing It Up in Copenhagen
By SETH SHERWOOD 


IN a beer-loving city like Copenhagen, long ruled by the twin empires of Carlsberg and Tuborg, it wasn’t easy for Gromit Eduardsen, a British mixologist and proud “cocktail geek” who moved to the city in 2000, to introduce his trade. The very idea of a professional, full-time drink mixer, he says, was impossible for most of his customers to grasp.

“If you were behind a bar then, people would ask you, ‘What’s your proper job?’ or ‘What are you studying?’ ” Mr. Eduardsen recalled with a weary chuckle, as he waited for the evening rush at his two-year-old lounge, 1105, a dark and elegantly minimalist space. The cocktails on 1105’s menu that night included the Fleur de Champagne (Chambord, vodka, elderflower cordial and Champagne) and the Señor Hansi (tequila, agave syrup, lime juice, passion fruit and weissbier foam) — far cries from a pint of lager.

“It was all ’80s drinks,” Mr. Eduardsen said of the options he found when he first arrived in the city. “In the best bars in Copenhagen, where the high society would drink, you’d have people drinking strawberry daiquiris made with strawberry syrup and bottled lime juice and bad rum, all put through a blender — an alcoholic slush to get drunk on.”

But the last few years have witnessed a sea change in the habits of local imbibers. Thanks largely to an influx of foreign bartenders from more cocktail-savvy nations — mainly Britain — and the return of Danish bartenders who polished their mixing skills abroad, the cobbled lanes and picturesque waterways of the Danish capital are echoing with the rattle of shakers and clatter of long stirring spoons like never before.

Several bars with a serious devotion to original high-end cocktails have sprouted in recent years, along with the Copenhagen Cocktail Club (copenhagencocktailclub.dk), a group made up of three bartenders dedicated to “promoting and developing the art of drink and bar and cocktail culture in Denmark and across Scandinavia,” said a co-founder, Spaniard David Bernabeu (yes, that’s his actual full name), who bartended previously in London. When they’re not whipping up original recipes behind the bars at the Oak Room and Bar Rouge, two early pioneers of the new cocktail culture, the members advise other establishments on their drinks menus, train staff and hold lively competitions at a rotation of bars around town.

For the new generation of bartenders, paper umbrellas, blenders, generic booze and canned juices have all been sent down the drain in favor of refined glassware, uncommon spirits and a dedication to hand-crafting syrups, infusions and fruit mixers from scratch, often using local ingredients. Menu selections change regularly, and attending bartending seminars and cocktail conventions abroad is almost de rigueur. Cool interiors and sartorial style are no less important, with many of the bartenders revealing a fondness for the Prohibition-era vintage vests and long white jackets common to cocktail revivalists around the world.

Ruby, which opened in 2007, was another of the pioneers of the new Copenhagen cocktail scene, and remains an exemplar. In addition to boasting an impeccable location — an airy 18th-century town house outfitted with oriental rugs, chandeliers and fresh flowers — the bar has an innovative cocktail list that changes four times a year and is filled with exotic alcohols and housemade mixers.

“We’re based on a seasonal menu, like a gourmet restaurant,” explained the manager Nick Kobbernagel Hovind, a Dane, as he laid out a list of springtime drinks that included the Primavera (white grapefruit juice, Galliano L’Autentico herbal liqueur, Campari, and Agrapart & Fils Champagne) and the Ruby Daiquiri (rhubarb jam shaken with vanilla syrup, lime juice and Angostura rum from Trinidad). With his thin moustache and striped vest, he looked like a character from a 1920s silent film. “It’s all about getting fresh ingredients,” he said.

To help introduce Copenhageners to the finer points of cocktails, the bar holds periodic “Spirit Sessions” in its basement lounge, a plush retreat of Chesterfield couches and gilt-edged mirrors. The sessions are the boozehound’s answer to wine tastings. “It’s a chance to learn some cocktail history and taste some different products,” Mr. Hovind said.

For a further education, you can simply slap together your own makeshift cocktail crawl. There’s a plush new liquor lab for nearly every taste or mood. Drinkers thirsting for some old-time Americana should knock on the unmarked door of The Union, which was opened last year by another English bartender, Paul Muldowney. Inside, you’ll find a darkened speakeasy-style space where Cab Calloway rules the sound system and Depression-era slang fills the drinks card: the Bootleg (gunpowder tea infused with bourbon and Champagne), the Double-Cross (Cognac, apricot brandy, amaretto, lemon), the Hooch (applejack, Chartreuse, elderflower liqueur, lemon and bitters).

Umami, a sleek and chic restaurant that last year added a cocktail bar, is one of the few places in town to combine high-end drinks with food. Japanophiles can sink into the orange banquettes and sip drinks infused with Far Eastern flavors like sake, green tea, cherry blossom liqueur and shiso leaves. The adjacent dining room serves up equally innovative Sino-European concoctions, like seared foie gras with eel, pear, black beans and seaweed salad, and sea bream with white soy sauce and coriander.

Riding the cocktail wave, the city last year held a competition to create its namesake drink. Under the scrutiny of a panel of judges, bartenders from five top cocktail lounges — 1105, Ruby, The Union, K Bar and MASH (the last owned by the same folks behind Umami) — squared off before hundreds of spectators. The winning recipe was a blend of Cherry Heering liqueur, genever (a Dutch precursor to gin), lime juice, sugar syrup, bitters, salt and pepper. The winning mixologist? Mr. Eduardsen, representing 1105.

The victory was a measure of vindication for Mr. Eduardsen — and proof of the evolution of the city’s cocktail culture since his arrival several years ago.

“Now people see bartenders as the animators of the evening, as the creators of the atmosphere,” he said. “They’re much more respected. People drink less than they ever used to these days, but they look more for quality. Now, when they choose to get drunk, they like to do it with a little bit of style.”

IF YOU GO

1105, Kristen Bernikows Gade 4; (45-33) 93-11-05; 1105.dk. Cocktails are 90 to 110 kroner, about $15 to $19 at 5.89 kroner to the dollar.

Oak Room, Birkegade 10; (45-38) 60-38-60; oakroom.dk. Cocktails are 60 to 90 kroner.

Bar Rouge, Krystalgade 22; (45-33) 45-91-00; www.sktpetri.com. Cocktails are 95 kroner.

Ruby, Nybrogade 10; (45-33) 93-12-03; rby.dk. Cocktails average 100 kroner.

The Union, Storstrandstraede 18; (45-41) 19-69-76; theunionbar.dk. All cocktails are 95 kroner.

Umami, Store Kongensgade 59; (45-33) 38-75-00; restaurantumami.dk. Cocktails average 100 kroner.

K Bar, Ved Stranden 20; (45-33) 91-92-22; k-bar.dk. Cocktails are 76 to 137 kroner.

MASH, Bredgade 20; (45-33) 13-93-00; mashsteak.dk. Cocktails are 90 to 120 kroner.
Saturday, June 19, 2010

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP TIME!

UNTIL THE NEXT WORLD CUP!


Thursday, March 25, 2010

taking care of health: BACK SOON!