The Friday Tipple: Swedish Margareta

We’re feeling Scandinavian, Boozers. There’s something about the scent of pine trees and impending snow that makes us want to pull on a Nordic patterned sweater and dust off the cross-country skis, while a bottle of aquavit chills in a snowbank awaiting our return from the frozen countryside.

Although the Northern Lights are but a distant dream, we do at least have IKEA, and there, amidst the Swedish meatballs and umlauts, we found lingonberry juice. Similar to the cranberry, lingonberries are, by turns, both tart and sweet, conjuring up images of frosty drinks from warmer climes, namely, the margarita. And thus we bring you the Swedish Margareta, a salute to the Scandinavian warmth you can find in the depths of a chilled glass as your rosy cheeks thaw next to a roaring fire. Skål!

Swedish Margareta

We often like to offer cocktail recipes that allow for our dear Boozers to take some creative license. While we chose to use an unaged whiskey (AKA moonshine) and mandarinetto from two of our favorite local distillers for our version, you can easily substitute vodka, tequila, or, yes, aquavit, for the unaged whiskey, and triple sec or Grand Marnier for the mandarinetto. The key to success for this drink is that each ingredient and the glasses need to be frosty cold.

2 ounces chilled lingonberry juice

1 ounce chilled unaged white whiskey (we used Catoctin Creek’s Mosby’s Spirit)

1 ounce chilled Kronan Swedish Punsch (cachaça is a good substitute, or even rum)

1/2 ounce chilled orange liqueur (we used Don Ciccio & Figgli Mandarinetto)

Salted Swedish Fish, for garnish

Put first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a frosted coupe and garnish with the Salted Swedish Fish.