Cheers to Peer Gynt from Pier 42
An exotic Norwegian cocktail full of spicy inspiration
Lori Ann Reinhall
Editor-in-chief
The Norwegian American
Photo courtesy of Pier 42
Celebrate the exotic world of Peer Gynt with a cocktail from Pier 42 at Hotel Amerikalinjen.
For music lovers or anyone traveling to Oslo, a stop at the Opera House is almost a must—to attend a world-class performance or to simply to admire this architectural gem created by the world-renowned firm Snøhetta.
And while in the neighborhood, you may want stop at one of the cities most popular bars, Pier 42 at the Hotel Amerikalinjen. With award-winning bartenders, they are able to offer up a menu of luscious libations in a friendly atmosphere that is a combination of both old and new. In former times, the building served as the headquarters for Amerikalinjen, where people bought their tickets to the New World, with their final destination at Pier 42 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
And for this issue, with its focus on music, we are happy to share a cocktail recipe from bartender Adrián Michalčík inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s five-part play Peer Gynt, set to music by Edvard Grieg.
As you will learn in Bill Halverson’s article in his series about Edvard Grieg this month, Peer Gynt journeyed from the mountains of Norway to the exotic world of North Africa. Peer’s travels inspired Michalčík to create a cocktail that one might enjoy on a holiday in the desert, and the result is his “Cocktail Peer Gynt,” his answer to an Italian spritz.
Slightly spicy and delightfully sweet with a splash of salted caramel cordial, the Cocktail Peer Gynt seems to embody the spirit of Norway—bottoms up and skål!
Cocktail Peer Gynt
30 ml Vetz infused with hay and grain of paradise
15 ml salted caramel cordial
2 dashes Angostura bitters
30 ml (top-up) Champagne Palmer
About Hotel Amerikalinjen
Now celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2024, Hotel Amerikalinjen has been rated Oslo’s No. 1 hotel by Tripadvisor.
The boutique hotel offers all modern amenities, including a fitness center, deluxe rooms, a full restaurant, a bakery complete with freshly baked bagels, conference facilities, a jazz cellar, and last but not least, the Pier 42 bar.
“Our signature cocktails showcase art from the destinations connected to the Norwegian America Line–Norway and New York, in a liquid form,” they explain on the hotel’s website.
And the results are fabulous. Pier 42 was named “Best Cocktail Bar in Norway 2021 & 2022” by Bartenders Choice Award, and lead bartender Adrián Michalčík was voted Global Bartender of the Year 2022 by World Class. The awards keep piling in—as do the guests.
Learn more at amerikalinjen.com.
This article originally appeared in the April 2024 issue of The Norwegian American.
