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.
recipes
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.
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.
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.
The Bell – Fortaleza Still Strength Tequila
It is not so easy to find a good high-quality tequila here in Germany. Luckily, I got my hands on a bottle of Fortaleza Still Strength Tequila. This also seemed like the perfect base spirit for a White Agavoni recipe I had written down a long time ago.
One Bottle One Drink – Norwegian Wood
Before I was preparing the article on the Linie Paloma, I was made aware that it was a long time since I last featured aquavit on the blog. To change that, I mixed up Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Norwegian Wood.
Vallecito – Del Maguey Vida Puebla
Since a few years there is another Vida bottling from Del Maguey. I had to chance to compare both neat and in cocktails. Apart from that, I came up with a spiced Margarita variation using Piment d’Espelette liqueur.
Naked & Famous – Del Maguey Vida
Sam Ross’ the ‘Naked & Famous’ probably is one of the most famous Mezcal cocktails out there. It has been a long time since I mixed the last one, so I had to change that. However, I replaced two bottles with slight variations of the original ingredients.
Coal Black Mattie – Cascahuín Añejo
I thought of moving ‘Agave Month’ to May to give me a bit more wiggle room, after Dry January and ‘Tropical Month’. Nevertheless, I will post a few agave-based recipes now and then some more in May. As a start, I am featuring the Cascahuín Añejo Tequila.
The Start of Spring – Linie Paloma
Here in Germany, Linie Aquavit is one of the most famous brands of aquavit. To welcome in spring, I have a refreshing recipe for you that uses an unusual combination of ingredients. However, Linie and grapefruit lemonade do work splendidly together!