This recipe is for folks who gravitate toward malty, herbal cocktails. It’s perfect as an aperitif before a meal to rouse an appetite. I love adding scented geranium petals and kumquat as a garnish to add a little spice and more citrus to the mix.
Ingredients
- 1 large hulled ripe strawberry
- 1 ounce aquavit (I prefer Linie Aquavit)
- 1 ounce Aperol
- ½ ounce Salers Aperitif
- ½ ounce fresh-pressed lemon juice
- Nutmeg-scented geranium leaf and petals for garnish
- Kumquat for garnish
About this recipe
The magnificent fluorescent hue of The Flourish comes from Aperol and fresh strawberry. Aperol is an Italian amaro that’s sweet, tart and slightly bitter with notes of mandarin orange, lemon and rhubarb. Mixed with aquavit, Scandinavia’s signature spirit, the cocktail takes on serious earthy tones of grain and aniseed. Aquavit is a neutral spirit distilled from potato or grain (think vodka), is sometimes cask aged and is most commonly flavored with caraway. Styles of aquavit vary from region to region and most popular flavoring agents include anise, dill, fennel, coriander and citrus. Salers Aperitif, from the Auvergne region of France, adds a layer of herbal astringency from gentian and a juicy hint of lime. The Aperol, Salers and fresh lemon juice unify as a chorus of citrus complemented with lush berry notes from the strawberry and a heady florality from the aquavit. Garnish with fresh nutmeg-scented geranium and a wheel of kumquat for a flare of exotic citrus and spice.
Instructions
In a bar tin, muddle the strawberry. Add ice, aquavit, Aperol, Salers and lemon juice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and double strain into a rocks or stemmed glass. Garnish with scented geranium and a wheel of kumquat. Makes 1 cocktail.
