20 best Kummel cocktails

Fashions have changed, and kummel is now found in relatively few bars. However, it remains a classic cocktail ingredient that, due to its unique flavour, is overdue for a renaissance. Hopefully, the following cocktails will inspire you to mix with kummel.

1. After Hours

With: Dry gin, maraschino liqueur, kummel and orange bitters.
We say: Martini-like but with delicate liqueur richness. Lightly spicy and faintly nutty.
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2. Alice Mine No. 2

With: Scotch whisky, kummel and rosso vermouth.
We say: You'll need to appreciate kummel to enjoy this long-lost classic.
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3. Allies Martini

With: Dry gin, ambrato vermouth, kummel
We say: A Fifty-Fifty Martini with a touch of kümmel.
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4. Bearskin Martini

With: Vodka, kummel and dry vermouth.
We say: A caraway-influenced Martini.
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5. Berlin Sour

With: Kummel, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
We say: The sweet, powerful flavours of kummel and maraschino liqueurs are tamed and harnessed in this sour.
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6. Copper Bullet

With: Vodka, aromatized wine, and kummel.
We say: This spirit-forward herbal cocktail may lack a copper hue, but it has the lethal potential of a bullet to inflict a killer blow.
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7. Crystal Clear

With: Vodka, kummel, bergamot liqueur and birch water.
We say: Subtly citrusy and piney with delicate caraway. Clearly refined.
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8. The Dante

With: Blanco tequila, Green Chartreuse, kummel liqueur, sugar syrup, and lime juice.
We say: Citrusy fresh and herbaceous, particularly caraway from the Kummel, with tequila providing the backbone.
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9. Dutch Nemesis

With: Genever, kummel, pineapple syrup, lime juice, aromatic bitters, and sparkling wine.
We say: Kummel shines in this genever and pineapple sour.
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10. High Kick

With: Scotch whisky, kummel and dry vermouth.
We say: Plenty of dilution is key to this caraway and Scotch-dominated cocktail from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book.
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11. Kingston

With: Aged rum, kummel, pimento dram, orange juice and lemon juices.
We say: Caraway (kummel) and pimento spice (allspice dram) shine in this aged rum sour.
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12. Kummel Ye Faithful

With: Mezcal, peated malt whisky, kummel, Pedro ximénez sherry, and liquorice bitters.
We say: Created as a Christmas cocktail but great anytime of year when sat in a comfy chair beside a warming fire.
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13. Martiki

With: Light rum, coconut water and kummel.
We say: Dry and Martini-like. Assertive kummel flavours pervade a punchy mix of rum and coconut water.
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14. Mezcal Dante

With: Basil leaves, mezcal, blanco tequila, Chartreuse, kummel, agave syrup, and lime juice.
We say: Some of the biggest flavours on the back bar are corralled, tamed and made to play together nicely.
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15. Prelude

With: Dry gin, aromatised wine, kummel, celery bitters, and absinthe.
We say: With delicate but assertive caraway-led herbal undertones, this is a savoury, Martini-style cocktail.
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16. Salvatore Legacy

With: Cognac, kummel, orange curaçao, and aromatic bitters
We say: Kümmel's bold caraway, cumin and fennel flavours predominate in this cognac-based after-dinner digestivo.
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17. Silver Bullet

With: Gin, kummel and lemon juice.
We say: If you like Aviations, then this caraway-influenced sour may appeal.
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18. Weekly Special

With: Gin, kummel, maraschino and pink grapefruit juice.
We say: Not so far removed from an Aviation. Depending on your grapefruit juice, this particular "Special" may be very slightly on the sweet side, but it's fantastically aromatic.
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19. Vowel Cocktail

With: Scotch whisky, kummel, rosso vermouth, orange juice and aromatic bitters.
We say: Caraway from the kummel heavily influences this variation on a Blood & Sand.
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20. Tovarich

With: Vodka, kummel, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white.
We say: Vodka-laced, delightfully clean and cleansing with kummel's distinctive rich caraway and cumin flavour combining well with lime.
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