Hymnostic – Ode Ruby Wood
When you have an open bottle of champagne in our fridge it is best to use it in a sparkling wine cocktail! So, this is exactly what I did. On top of that, I combined it with the natural red aperitif from Ode.
Dild Tonic – Aalborg Dild Akvavit
It has been years ago that I first read about aquavit which uses dill as an ingredient. Now that I got my hands on a bottle I was very curious to try it. It does not really come as a surprise that the suggested serve with a tonic water works very well.
Snap Dog – Engel Grape Eau de Vie
Some time ago, I had the idea of combining an unaged grape eau de vie with elderflower in a sour-style cocktail. I was thinking of a Snap Dragon meets Pisco Sour kind of drink. Fortunately, my friend Manuel Engel provided me with his grape eau de vie.
Unbottled – A Blanc de Blancs Tasting
I’ve simply titled this edition of our regular tasting ‘Blanc de Blancs’. This topic was on my list for ages and while I do tend towards red grapes, especially when it comes to sparkling wine, you do have to appreciate what great chardonnay brings to the table. However, who says that we only tried this […]
Ode to New York – Ode Bright Lemon
I first noticed the Ode Aperitifs a while back thanks to their iconic design. However, it was not until the Haut Les Vins Signature Wine Show in 2026 that I tried the aperitifs. From the moment I tasted them, I knew I had to feature both in combination with different recipes.
An Irish Whiskey Tasting
As I mentioned in my posts in the lead-up to St. Patrick’s Day, I didn’t have a single bottle of Irish whiskey at home. To remedy this, I decided to compare ten different bottles. Fortunately, I had no trouble assembling a small tasting panel.
Unbottled – Bonnet-Ponson Seconde Nature Millesime 2016
As we could not include this bottle of champagne in our natural wine tasting in March, I opened it as an aperitif at Easter. Suffice to say, the bottle did not disappoint.
Spirited News 04/2026 – Nc’Nean Huntress
I attended another tasting event organised by Kirsch Whisky. This time, we tasted the latest edition of the Nc’Nean Huntress. In addition, we tried five other spirits, ranging from the Nc’Nean Botanical Spirit to the Cask Strength Bottling.
Aquavit Cocktails – Wild Wood
I basically, kept some elements of the modern classic Norwegian Wood cocktail from Jeffrey Morgenthaler, but twisted them slightly. Obviously, the resulting drink tastes quite different from the original.
Unbottled – Weninger Blaufraenkisch Kalkofen
I do have a week spot for Blaufraenkisch. This Austrian red wine is deeply rooted in our family’s history. Naturally, when I get the chance to buy an aged bottle, I just cannot resist. In this case, this is a late release from Franz Weninger from the Kalkofen vineyard.