15 Aquavit Twists on Classic Cocktails

For an even savorier, spicier Bloody Mary, swap out vodka for aquavit! This Scandinavian twist on the classic brunch cocktail has a sharper herbal flavor that pairs wonderfully with the tomato juice and other spices and herbs. Top it off with your favorite garnishes and a celery salt, salt, and dill rim to take your next Bloody Mary to a whole new level!

• 2 oz aquavit
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice (plus a wedge for rimming the glass)
• 1/4 tsp horseradish
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash Tabasco hot sauce
• Dash of salt and pepper
• Ice
• Celery salt, for the rim
• Dill, for the rim
• Salt, for the rim
• Celery stalk, for garnish
• Lemon wedge, for garnish
• Cornichons, for garnish
• Dill sprigs, for garnish

1. Rub the rim of a glass with a lemon wedge, then dip the rim in a mixture of celery salt, salt, and dill and fill the glass with ice.
2. Add the aquavit, tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper to a cocktail shaker without ice to avoid over diluting it, and shake for a few seconds.
3. Strain into the spice-rimmed glass and add your garnishes.

Sours are typically made with 2 parts spirit, 1 part acid, 1 part sweet, and sometimes egg white. This recipe follows this template closely, and uses aquavit as the main spirit for a more herbaceous spin on a sour. The caraway and dill notes of the aquavit are beautifully complemented by the bright acidity of lemon juice, the sweetness of simple syrup, and the frothy texture of egg white.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz aquavit
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• 1/2 oz egg white
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white to a shaker without ice and dry shake for about 30 seconds.
2. Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake again until well-chilled
3. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a dash of Angostura bitters.

In the Nordic Mule, aquavit is used in place of vodka for a more complex and herbaceous flavor profile. The spiciness of the ginger beer and tartness of the lime juice pair perfectly with the aquavit. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill or for a savory, modern spin on the classic Mule.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz ginger beer
• Ice
• Dill sprig, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice, then add the aquavit and lime juice and stir well.
2. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a sprig of dill.

If you're a fan of dirty martinis, you'll love this variation made with aquavit instead of gin or vodka! The classic dirty martini is a martini with the addition of olive brine or olive bitters. The herbal notes of the aquavit work so well with the salty olive brine in this spin on the cocktail and make it even more savory and complex.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• Dash of olive brine or olive bitters
• Green olives, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Stir the aquavit, dry vermouth, and olive brine or olive bitters in a mixing glass with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with green olives on a toothpick.

This twist on the classic Italian cocktail packs a punch of Nordic flavor by replacing gin with aquavit. The spicy, herbal notes of aquavit blend wonderfully with the bittersweet Campari and botanical notes of the sweet vermouth, resulting in a complex, bold, and sophisticated drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz aquavit
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Stir the aqauvit, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with an orange peel.

The Gimlet is a simple sour cocktail that's made with just three ingredients: gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. As you probably guessed, this version subs out gin for aquavit, which adds a distinct herbal flavor to the tangy lime and sweet simple syrup.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• Lime wheel, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

This Aquavit Old Fashioned is just as strong, spicy, and elegant as the classic cocktail. While you can use simple syrup in this recipe to balance out the drink's potency, I actually like to use Demerara syrup instead because it goes fantastically well with the spicy notes of the aquavit and adds even more depth and richness to the drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 1/2 oz Demerara syrup or simple syrup*
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 large ice cube
• Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Stir the aquavit, Demerara or simple syrup, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube and garnish with an orange peel.

*Demerara syrup is made with the same 1:1 ratio of water to sugar as simple syrup, but you use Demerara sugar instead of white sugar.

This take on a spritz features the herbaceous notes of aquavit along with floral and sweet St Germain elderflower liqueur and fizzy sparkling wine. It's a simple, elegant cocktail that's easy to make and so refreshing on a warm summer day!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz aquavit
• 1/4 oz St Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3 oz sparkling wine
• Ice
• Lemon wheel, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, St Germain elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice to a wine glass filled with ice and stir well.
2. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon wheel.

The Last Word is one of my all-time favorite classic cocktails, and it has such a fun template to experiment with! If you aren't familiar with it, it's made with equal parts gin, maraschino liqueur, green Chartreuse, and lime juice. This spin uses aquavit instead of gin, which works like a dream with the herbal green Chartreuse, bittersweet maraschino liqueur, and citrusy lime.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz aquavit
• 3/4 oz green Chartreuse
• 3/4 oz maraschino liqueur
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice to a shaker with ice and shake until ice cold.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

The Manhattan is one of the most well-known whiskey cocktails! As you can imagine, using aquavit instead of whiskey changes the flavor profile pretty dramatically, but it's still a strong, smooth, and delicious slow-sipping cocktail. Aquavit adds to the herbal notes of the drink and lightens it up a bit, making for a fun spin on a beloved classic cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, sweet vermouth, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.
2. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

It's hard to find a more refreshing or easy cocktail than the Greyhound, which is made with vodka or gin and grapefruit juice. Aquavit gives the drink a more savory, nuanced flavor, and its spicy, herbal notes play so well with the tart, bittersweet grapefruit juice.*

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 4 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• Grapefruit slice, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit and grapefruit juice to a glass with ice, stir until well mixed, and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

*To make it a riff on a Paloma instead, add a squeeze of lime juice and a splash of soda water!

Here's another great classic but lesser-known whiskey cocktail! A traditional Man O' War is made with bourbon, orange liqueur (like triple sec), sweet vermouth, and lemon juice. If it's not clear by now, aquavit pairs fantastically with citrus and bittersweet, spicy vermouth, so it's a natural substitute for bourbon in this bright, zingy drink!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• Lemon peel, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, triple sec, sweet vermouth, and lemon juice to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

Swapping out gin for aquavit is a simple but fun way to mix up your classic G&T! The bitter, quinine flavor of tonic and citrusy lime juice pair as well with aquavit as they do with gin, so you can expect it to be equally refreshing and botanical as a G&T, but just a bit more savory and herbal thanks to the aquavit.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 4 oz tonic water
• 1 lime wedge
• Lime wheel, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit to a rocks glass with ice, then top with tonic water.
2. Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass, drop it in the drink, and garnish with a lime wheel.

Like the G&T, a Tom Collins is a simple gin-based cocktail that's perfect for warm weather sipping! The classic Tom Collins is made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda. In this aquavit spin on the Tom Collins, I stick to the classic recipe but add in muddled cucumber, which complements the herbal notes of the aquavit and makes the drink even more refreshing!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz aquavit
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 3 slices of cucumber
• 2 oz soda water
• Ice
• Cucumber slices, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Lightly muddle the cucumber slices in a cocktail shaker, then add in the aquavit, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into an highball glass filled with ice, top with soda water, and garnish with a slice of cucumber.

When you think of Scandinavia you probably don't think of tropical drinks, but trust me: this aquavit riff on a Singapore Sling is so ridiculously tasty! The classic Singapore Sling is an elaborate, super flavorful gin-based drink with a long list of fruity, herbal, and citrusy ingredients. Naturally, these flavors work wonderfully with aquavit, which adds even more herbal complexity to the drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz aquavit
• 1/2 oz Cherry Heering liqueur
• 1/4 oz Grand Marnier
• 1/4 oz Bénédictine
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 2 oz club soda
• Pineapple wedge, for garnish
• Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the aquavit, Cherry Heering liqueur, Grand Marnier, Bénédictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, and Angostura bitters to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice, top with club soda, and garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.