Caspian Berggren

I'm not sure about this one. I tried it before adding ice and then it was delicious. When I added ice the flavours seemed to drift apart and the drink became unbalanced. Next time I'll commit an OF cardinal sin and try this without ice.

The sloe, apricot and crucially a high ester Jamaican rum really create magic in this cocktail. Not sure if you can distinguish the grenadine though, but at least it adds a pretty colour and some sweetness.

I think you can really play around with the akvavit here. One with bog myrtle could really work and dill would at least be interesting. There's a lot of different herbs that can be used in akvavit so don't be afraid to try different variations!

I'm not really a Campari/Negroni fan so I'm usually a bit weary of these stirred bitter cocktails but man, this was right up my alley. The Amaro elevates the rye spice which balances the Campari. The orange flavors are there and adds freshness to the whole experience without adding acidity. You get a really flavorful, spicy cocktail that is bitter but balanced. The rye I chose really helped, I used Lot No 40 Dark Oak.