Share
11th March 2018
05:28pm GMT
Gin is a classic go-to spirit: it's easy to drink (a bit too easy, eh?), mixes well with either sweet or savoury flavours, and basically, it's almost impossible to mess it up.
G&Ts are quite possibly the most ordered drink in Dublin right now after a pint of Guinness.
But isn't it time for a change? ("NO!", say our fellow gin lovers).
Shh. Be open minded.
Once you get a taste of the beautiful Nordic spirit that is Aquavit, you'll be hooked.
With roots in Norway and Denmark, the Scandi spirit is made from wheat or potatoes, and distilled with carraway seeds for a fennel flavour. Just like gin, it can also be made with coriander, orange, cardamom, and other herbs and spices to change up the taste in a beautifully subtle way.
It's been used increasingly in cocktails in the US and London in the past couple years, but we have a feeling you'll soon be seeing this spirit in cocktail menus in the hottest Dublin bars.
It can be distilled clear, or oaked in casks for a more golden colour and deeper flavour.
“As juniper is to gin, so is caraway to aquavit,” says Vogue Magazine. “From there, the possible flavor combinations are practically endless, providing bartenders with a flavorful ingredient that can revive classics and become the base of modern classics itself. Gin had its time and its rise over a few years, now it’s time for aquavit.
It does have quite a herbal taste, almost botanically savoury, but once you try it you'll very quickly grow to love the fresh tang.
If you want to be a hardcore Scandinavian, straight up! If not, there's very little limits to what sort of cocktail can be made with Aquavit.
Just like gin, you can have an Aquavit and tonic - a slice of cucumber or red grapefruit goes very well. Or, you can whirl it into a cocktail such as a sour or a more fruity fizz.
The only spot we know of at the moment is The Greenhouse on Dawson Street, the uber-slick Michelin restaurant, but you can buy it to try yourself at The Celtic Whiskey Shop.
Will you be brave enough to give it a try?
Header image: Long Road Distillers
READ NEXT: 9 Signs You're Slowly Turning Into A Dub
