Priscilla – Lysholm No. 52 Botanical Aquavit
While you might have heard of Linie Aquavit, the name Lysholm probably does not ring a bell. However, they are the same family that made Linie Aquavit a renown label. The relatively new No. 52 is now a new version to show off aquavits potential for mixing. I thought I would take advantage of that and use the aquavit in a version of a Paloma. A highball you usually do not associate with the caraway flavoured spirit.
Unlike the Linie Aquavit, the Lysholm No. 52 does not get shipped around the equator for ageing. Nevertheless, it uses a bunch of other botanicals you usually find in gin. Amongst the eleven herbs and spices used, there are caraway seeds, coriander, bitter orange peel, ginger and star anise. The No. 52 comes from the 52th try to create a new aquavit and the name comes from the founder of the brand Jorgen B. Lysholm.
Rather fruity aquavit
In the aroma the first thing you will find is a interesting citrus note. At least for me, this came a split-second before the typical caraway note of aquavit. On top of that, the No. 52 has distinct herbal and spicy notes which really remind you more of a gin. Yet, in the taste the oiliness and pronounced caraway notes leave no doubt what you are actually drinking. It is a very well made spirit, which comes off as a little bit more complex than your usual bottle of aquavit.
Even more fruity
To play on the fruity citrus notes of the Lysholm even more, I opted for a variation of the Paloma. Of course, the drink is usually made with tequila so the resulting taste is quite different. So, I also added a little bit of orange curacao to further underline those orange peel notes of the aquavit.
0,75 cl Pierre Ferrand Orange Curacao
2,25 cl Lemon Juice
Stir – strain – chilled highball glass over ice cube – top off with lemonade;
Garnish: Orange Twist;
Song: Sea Wolf – Priscilla;
As suspected the drink turned out to be very fruity. You do not instantly notice the aquavit. It is only at the back of the sip that you realize that something does taste different than your average Paloma. The orange curacao helps balancing out the drink and the lemon just goes better with aquavit than lime. All in all, this is a tasty summer refresher which you should give a change when you crave a Paloma style drink the next time!
*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product.
