The Valhalla

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In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the equivalent of heaven.  We've found our heaven at Beekman Farm, but a few sips of this cocktail will put you in that paradise state of mind even if you haven't quite reached that dream destination.

 

The Valhalla

Instructions

Rip the tops off three mint sprigs and set aside.

In an empty mixing glass, muddle the mint stems with three wedges of meyer lemon and one bar spoon sugar.  Muddle just enough to gently rip the mint leaves.  You are not making pesto here.

Add

1 1/2 ounces aquavit

1 ounce St. Germain

Add ice and shake 20X .  Strain and serve up.  Remember the tops of those mint sprigs?  There's your garnish.  You may serve in a martini glass, or better yet, a stemless wine glass to concentrate the aromas.

This drink is intended to augment your liquor cabinet with aquavit, which ranks high on my list of Spirits We Don't Drink Enough.  Bored of vodka but the juniper in gin is too much?  Hello, aquavit.  The delicate fennel and caraway flavors augment patio cocktails with a nice complexity.  Aquavit is Scandinavian in origin, but I'm rather fond these days of Krogstaad, from Oregon.

Eben Klemm is the Senior Manager of Wines & Spirits of BR Guest Hospitality, a group of Restaurants, Bars and Hotels.  In that capacity he creates all the specialty cocktails served there.  He grew up on a small family farm in Sharon, five miles from the Beekman Mansion and is proud to say that the first cocktails he ever consumed were rejected from his body, at very high speed, not far from its shadow.  His book "The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink" was published in 2009 by Andrews McNeel.