Time Bomb
For this unusual box, which is a change of pace from the routine, I’ve done something equally unusual for the cocktail pairing. I’ve teamed up with some cocktail friends from Sweden to help me choose the appropriate toast for this Swedish box. Joakim and Mattias are the duo behind “Cocktail Detour”, a blog which chronicles their world travels and passion for mixology. They live in downtown Stockholm but have visited the best bars all around the world. For the Hemlis Box, they selected an unusual classic which features the quintessential Swedish spirit, aquavit. Aquavit, or more traditionally “aqvavit” (literally, “water of life” – sound familiar? This is the same derivation as aqua vitae (Latin), a type of fruit brandy, and even uisce beatha (Gaelic), the original term for whiskey), is the classic Scandinavian grain spirit distilled with herbs and classically featuring caraway and dill flavors. Think of it as Scandinavian gin if you are not familiar with it already.
Time Bomb c. 1982
They found the “Time Bomb” cocktail in the pages of the Vogue Cocktail Book, 1982. The book was compiled by Henry McNulty, a “man-about-town” who styled it after the 1930’s era cocktail heyday and jazz age. McNulty was an American born in China, educated in the Ivy League, who became a war correspondent during World War II, and later a drinks industry journalist best known for his role as the spirits editor at British Vogue in the seventies and eighties. The Time Bomb lives up to its name as a potent bomb of a dry martini variation which evokes that classic era. The cocktail is very dry and sophisticated, with a nice balance between the flavors. The aquavit is not overwhelming thanks to the split with vodka, and the lemon balances things well. It’s a perfect drink for sharing secrets. Cheers!
Caught with your beard in the letterbox
Time Bomb c. 1982 (from the Swedish recipe)
3 cl akvavit
3 cl vodka
3 cl citronjuice
1 bit citronskal
Blanda I ett stort cocktailglas. För den som tycker om riktigt torra drinkar.
Suspect owls in the bog here ...
For more from Cocktail Detour see:
https://www.cocktaildetour.com/
Also, the odd photo captions are all common Swedish expressions - see if you can deduce their meanings.
Special thanks to Cocktail Detour for the collaboration.