Benutzer:Hawei/Salmiakki Koskenkorva
Salmiakkikoskenkorva, (also Salmiakkikossu for short or generically as Salmari) is a pre-mixed vodka cocktail which caused a minor revolution in drinking culture in Finland in the 1990s. Today, Salmiakkikossu is the number one drink amongst locals and tourists in many pubs and nightclubs in Finland. Canonically it consists of Koskenkorva Viina vodka and ground up Turkinpippuri brand salty liquorice.
Before the 90s Finland had a very thin and stratified cocktail culture. But a single episode of The Simpsons changed all that. In Flaming Moe's, Homer Simpson invents a new cocktail, which is a huge hit and earns Moe a fortune. The coctail consisted (among others) of cough medicine. Inspired by this some Finnish drinking establishments started serving a similar drink made out of ground ammonium chloride based candy. If it was good enough for Homer, it was okay for the average Finn as well. It became a trendy drink especially amongst the youth of the day.
The recipe
The canonical DIY recipe for "Salmari" requires a half liter bottle of Koskenkorva; two bags of Fazer's Turkinpippuri (a.k.a. Tyrkisk Peber (Turkish Pepper) and a dishwasher. One swigs enough of the vodka to make room for stuffing the ground hot candy into the bottle. The cork is resealed tightly and the bottle is placed into the top tray of the dishwasher. After the machine has gone through a 60 degree wash and dry programme, the hot bottle is put into a fridge or window-sill to cool off. After it has cooled, it is ready to serve. If one does not have access to a dishwasher, it is possible to put the ground candy and vodka in a blender and mix it cold instead.
Tabloid scaremongering
Based on a totally bogus urban legend of a mythical teenager who had suffered a heart attack as a result of Salmari, tabloids were able to foment a furor strong enough for the state monopoly alcohol manufacturer and retailer to withdraw the premixed drink from sale within the country. But they did not destroy their large stock, but merely warehoused it for five years, until the furore died down. Even when Salmiakkikossu was withdrawn, the effect it had on Finnish cocktail culture remained unabated. Salmari had brought cocktails to the masses.
Although the original rumor of heart attack was bogus, the drink does have some dangerous properties as it is very insidious, strong flavor of hot candy almost totally masks the presence of ethanol, and the imbiber may not realize he is consuming drink with almost 40% alcohol by volume (80-proof), leading to possible alcohol poisoning
External Links
- Suce Ma Saucisse How to make Salmiakkikossu by Melwyn / Haujobb