Skvaderns herbal liqueur is made by Sanka Anna Bränneri, the same small Swedish distillery that brought us Valkyria Absinthe a while ago. Based on a mythological creature, a mix between a hare and a grouse, claimed to have been spotted by a hunter in the woods of Sundsvall, Sweden back in 1874, this 35% abv liqueur was created both as a shooter and drink ingredient, to enjoy during hunting, in a bar or in the safety of your own home.

Nose: Sweet, with hints of coca-cola, christmas spices and a touch of alcohol.

Mouth: Lots of sweetness to begin with, followed by an explosion of sappy butterscotch, cloves, hints of vanilla and a nice amount of heat from cinnamon and maybe also ginger as it fades out.

It's actually quite pleasant to sip on for a little while, with or without ice, but maybe too sweet to work as a substitute for Jägermeister and not spicy enough to compete with Fireball - at least according to my taste. However, none of the flavours are overwhelming which means it's well balanced enough to work as a cocktail ingredient. I've been experimenting a bit, and finally came up with these two cocktail recipes below - enjoy!

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Skvader Julep

25 ml bourbon
25 ml Skvaderns herbal liqueur
10 ml grenadine
15 ml fresh lemon juice
5 ml Pernod

Shake with ice cubes, strain into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig dusted with powdered sugar, serve with a straw.

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Skvader Mai Tai

45 ml aged Cuban rum
15 ml Skvaderns herbal liqueur
15 ml Amaretto Disaronno
20 ml fresh lime juice
15 ml fresh passion fruit juice

Shake with ice cubes, strain into Double Old Fashioned-glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with orange slice, mint sprig and cinnamon stick, serve with a straw.