20 best Kummel cocktails
Words by Simon Difford
Photography by Dan Malpass
In his 1939 The Gentleman's Companion, Charles H Baker asserts that kummel "is specified in enough cocktails that it should be on the shelf of very average bar", while the 1955 United Kingdom Bartenders' Guild Guide to Drinks describes kummel as, "one of the most popular of all liqueurs."
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.
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.
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.
Allies Martini
With: Dry gin, ambrato vermouth, kummel
We say: A Fifty-Fifty Martini with a touch of kümmel.
Bearskin Martini
With: Vodka, kummel and dry vermouth.
We say: A caraway-influenced Martini.
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.
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.
Crystal Clear
With: Vodka, kummel, bergamot liqueur and birch water.
We say: Subtly citrusy and piney with delicate caraway. Clearly refined.
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.
Dutch Nemesis
With: Genever, kummel, pineapple syrup, lime juice, aromatic bitters, and sparkling wine.
We say: Kummel shines in this genever and pineapple sour.
The Herbalist
With: Dry gin, celery juice, kummel, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
We say: Kummel's herbal caraway flavours and botanical gin notes form the backbone of this citrusy celery cocktail.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Silver Bullet
With: Gin, kummel and lemon juice.
We say: If you like Aviations then this caraway-influenced sour may appeal.
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.
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.
Vodka Silver Bullet
With: Vodka, kummel and grapefruit bitters.
We say: Perhaps best described as a Kümmel Martini with the liqueur's strong caraway flavours fortified with vodka, freshened and made more complex by the addition of grapefruit bitters.