On my trip to Stockholm in Sweden in July 2019, I got to know many Swedish cocktails. The three most interesting and unusual Swedish cocktails, I would like to introduce you here.

NORDIC TRACK

STORY

This Swedish cocktail Nordic Track is grassy, refreshing and sweet with extra fruity bite from the lingonberry sauce garnish.

INGREDIENTS

• 60 ml/ 2 oz. Aquavit
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 15 ml/ ½ oz. cucumber vinegar
• 8 ml/ ¼ oz.  bubble gum syrup
• 1 tbsp lingonberry preserves
• mint sprig

METHOD

1. Muddle the mint together with the vinegar in a mixing glass.
2. Add ice, the gum syrup and Aquavit. 
3. Shake it! 
4. Strain into a glass over fresh ice.
5. Garnish with the lingonberry jam and a mint sprig.

HALLON-LAKRITS

STORY

Hallon-Lakrits is a festive candy drink that tastes just as the Swedish name promises – raspberries and licorice. So, just like the popular raspberry peel. Worth mentioning is also that this is a drink that one can very easily vary to adapt to their own taste preferences. This stated recipe is only a good basic recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 60 ml/ 2 oz. Sourz Raspberry
• 10 ml/ ⅓ oz. Pernod
• 20 ml/ ¾ oz. Grenadine  
• 10 ml/ ⅓ oz. lemon juice
• 80 ml/ 2 ¾ oz. soda water

METHOD

1. Fill a glass half with crushed ice.
2. Add Sourz Raspberry, Pernod, Grenadine and lemon juice.
3. Stir so that everything mixes.
4. Add the soda water and fill the rest of the glass with ice.
5. Stir slightly and garnish with a lakrits stick.

NOTES

It’s all about finding a balance in the flavors you like. If you think it’s too low in licorice, you can easily increase the amount of Pernod. If you want the drink a little sweeter, you can try to use Seven Up or Sprite instead of soda. Since they are a little sweeter, you may need to add some extra lemon juice. Do not be afraid to try different variants.

FIZZY POP

STORY

Fizzy Pop is exactly what it sounds like – a drink that tastes like Sweden’s most popular candy piece. Some call them Bubblizz, others for Fizzypop. Whatever you call them, this is the drink recipe you’ve been looking for!

INGREDIENTS

• 50 ml/ 1 ½ oz. Vodka
• 50 ml/ 1 ½ oz. bubble gum syrup
• 20 ml/ ¾ oz. lemon juice
• 60 ml/ 2 oz. Sprite
• 10 ml/ ⅓ oz. Blue Curaçao liqueur

METHOD

1. Fill a glass with crushed ice.
2. Add Vodka, gum syrup and lemon juice.
3. Stir slightly.
4. Add Sprite and stir gently so that the bubbles do not disappear.
5. Add more ice if there is space.
6. Gently pour Blue Curaçao in the top of the glass so that the blue color spreads slightly downwards.
7. Garnish with candy.

NOTES

The secret sauce in this drink is undoubtedly the bubble gum from Monin. It tastes almost exactly like the Fizzy pop / Bubblizz candies it is, just much sweeter. The other ingredients are therefore mostly to balance the flavors, get the liquid and alcohol volume and to make the drink visually more appealing. The syrup is alcohol-free and available to order online or to buy in some specialty stores.

SHOPPING LIST

If you do not want to go to Stockholm (Sweden), you can also make the cocktails easily at home.

1. Aquavit | USA | UK* | Germany*
2. Pernod | USA | UK* | Germany*
3. Absolut vodka | USA* | UK* | Germany*
4. Raspberry Sourz | USA* | UK* | Germany*
5. Blue Curaçao liqueur | USA | UK* | Germany*
6. Grenadine | USA* | UK* | Germany*
7. Bubble gum syrup | USA* | UK* | Germany*
8. Sprite | USA* | UK* | Germany*
9. Soda water | USA* | UK* | Germany*
10. Highball Glass | USA* | UK* | Germany*
11. Hurricane Glass| USA* | UK* | Germany*