Cheers to Constitution Day!
A collection of cocktails for a deliciously distant celebration
CHRISTY OLSEN FIELD & LORI ANN REINHALL
The Norwegian American
Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations will be different this year, on both sides of the Atlantic. While we won’t be gathering for parades or parties, it doesn’t mean that we can’t raise a glass to toast the 206th anniversary of Norway’s constitution and the 131st birthday of The Norwegian American!
For a socially distant yet festive celebration, we asked for Norwegian-inspired cocktail recipes from a few of our friends. Skål!
Constitution Cocktail
From Martin Andersen at
Amerikalinjen Hotel
Oslo
www.amerikalinjen.com
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. simple caramel syrup
1¾ oz. high-quality strawberry juice
Bottle of chilled champagne
Clarified milk*
There is little bit of preparation behind this milk punch cocktail, but when it is ready you will just pour it in the glass and top up with bubbles of your choice. It’s a delicious combination of creamy strawberries and champagne. If you want to spice it up, you can use the spirit of your choice.
Simple caramel syrup:
Toast 2½ cups of granulated sugar in a dry pan until caramelized. Add 2 cups of water to the pan and stir until all the sugar dissolves. Strain and set aside to cool.
Mix lemon, simple caramel syrup, strawberry juice and 20% of clarified milk in a glass container, cover and leave it overnight. Then strain the mixture through cheesecloth, or coffee filter, into a glass jar.
To make the cocktail, pour 2½ oz. of lemon-syrup-strawberry mixture in a champagne flute and top off with champagne.
*To make the clarified milk, most bartenders prefer to gently heat the milk over the stove before straining out the solids that form with a very fine strainer or cheesecloth as the water content evaporates.
Monika’s Manhattan
From Monika Sudjian
Lake Las Vegas, Nev.
As a salute to New York during the trying times of COVID-19, Editor-in-chief Lori Ann Reinhall wanted to share a recipe for a Manhattan. The best one she knows of comes from her longtime friend Monika Sudjian, perfect hostess, award-winning professor, and loyal subscriber to The Norwegian American. Monika advises that the secret is in the ingredients—she makes some specific recommendations—and you can be generous with the portions.
2 oz. rye whiskey—don’t use bourbon! (Monika uses Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye Whiskey)
1 oz. sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica is a preferred brand.)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with an ice cube and stir until chilled. Remove the ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Bada Bing or other brandied cherry.
Erik the Blue
Skål Beer Hall
Seattle
www.skalballard.com
1 oz. Linie aquavit
1 oz. Bluewater aquavit
(or gin of your choice)
¾ oz. pineapple juice
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz. elderflower syrup
(or agave syrup)
4-5 fresh blueberries,
plus additional to garnish
Mint to garnish
Muddle 4-5 blueberries with elderflower syrup, add lime and pineapple juice, and add Linie and Bluewater aquavits. Shake vigorously, about 15 seconds with ice (shake with mint for stronger mint flavor). Strain into rocks glass over ice, and garnish with mint and blueberries.
Lingonberry Margarita
From Oskar’s Slider Bar & Uffda Hospitality
Louisville, Ky.
www.oskarssliderbar.com
When we asked Liz Huot at Uffda Hospitality for a cocktail recipe, she said that people love their lingonberry margarita at Oskar’s Slider Bar. To me, this cocktail is a great example of the Uffda Hospitality’s playful flavor combinations, while remaining true to their Scandinavian roots.
2 oz. Camarena Reposado tequila
½ oz. triple sec
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. lingonberry syrup
To make the lingonberry syrup: In a blender, combine 1 qt. water, 4 cups sugar, 8 oz. lingonberry concentrate, and 1 jar (14-oz.) lingonberries. Blend on low for 2 minutes. Strain twice.
To make the margarita, combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and strain into a salt-rimmed glass.
OPUS XVI cocktail
From Alexander Grieg at
Opus XVI, the Edvard Grieg
Heritage Hotel
Bergen
www.opusxvi.no
1½ oz. brown cheese infused aquavit
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. hazelnut syrup
1 egg white
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Shaved brown cheese to garnish
To make the cheese-infused aquavit, melt the brown cheese over low heat (preferably in a double boiler, as to not burn the cheese). Pour in the aquavit and stir. Let the cheese sit in the aquavit for 2 hours, then strain and freeze so the fat rises to the top, and then strain again. For best results, do this twice over a period of 48 hours. The correct ratio is 2 oz. cheese to one bottle of aquavit (750 ml. or about 25 fluid oz.).
Add all ingredients into shaker, shake with ice for 15 seconds. Strain ingredients back into strainer and throw away ice. Shake without ice for 15 seconds. Finely strain into a gold-rimmed or other elegant coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary and shaved brown cheese.
This article originally appeared in the May 8, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
