After spending a few days in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, I got a pleasant surprise -- a suntan.  Ok, I really turned more of a darker shade of pale, but for me that's a suntan. Just as the unusually sunny weather in those cities gave my skin a pinkish color, trying aquavit in its native countries gave my taste buds some fun.  The Scandinavian Suntan evokes memories of the fun Ms. Cocktail Den and I had during our journey. It is inspired by a drink I had at Ruby bar in Copenhagen.

1.5 ounces aquavit
1 ounce Campari
.5 ounces super simple syrup
Juice from 1/8 grapefruit

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with the joy of a Scandinavian who's able to experience almost constant daylight during the summer, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Orange peel garnish optional.

Nyhavn district in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 As aquavit is a quintessential Scandinavian spirit, it had to be the base of this drink. It literally means the "water of life," and the Scandinavian Suntan is a lively cocktail.  If you want a true pink color that resembles my idea of a suntan, use clear aquavit; I used Aalborg Taffel in the pictured drink.  Campari, a widely available Italian amaro, isn't from Scandinavia, but its sharp citrus flavors complement the aquavit nicely. While in Copenhagen I noticed the Danes seem to love all things Italian, so it actually makes sense to use Campari in the drink.

The combination of aquavit and Campari makes the Scandinavian Suntan undeniably pink, and the fresh grapefruit juice enhances the color and flavor. Don't let the color fool you.  The Scandinavian Suntan is a pretty strong drink, but the super simple syrup keeps it from knocking you into the Baltic Sea (metaphorically speaking, I swear).

So who's up for some liquid fun from the Scandinavian sun?

Aquavit isn't some fancy new flavored water. Derived from the Latin for "water of life" (just like whiskey means "water of life" in Gaelic), aquavit is a Scandinavian liquor that's becoming increasingly popular outside of Northern Europe, both on its own and in cocktails. Like vodka, aquavit is distilled from either grain or potato and then, like gin, it is flavored with spices and botanicals.  So what distinguishes aquavit?  Under European Union regulations, the predominant spice in aquavit has to be caraway or dill, and it must be at least 75 proof.  Do you like rye bread?  If you do (like me and Ms. Cocktail Den), you'll probably like aquavit.

Almost all aquavit currently on the market comes out of the Scandinavian countries -- Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.  There are some general national differences in aquavit styles.  Denmark and Sweden typically distill from grains, while Norway typically distills from potatoes. Aquavit can be relatively unaged and clear, e.g. Aalborg from Denmark, or aged and darker, e.g. Linie from Norway. As with other spirits such as rum and tequila, aging aquavit changes the flavor. Traditionally one drinks aquavit on its own. I had the opportunity to try different types when I was in Denmark and Sweden.  I enjoyed a couple of types of chilled  aquavit, and I found it goes great with herring (if you think that sounds disgusting, Ms. Cocktail Den agrees with you).

So why you should care about aquavit? Because it's a fascinating substitute for vodka, gin, and even whiskey in various cocktails.  Depending on your perspective, to some extent aquavit (also spelled akavit) is like vodka or gin that's flavored with caraway or dill. Try switching aquavit in for another spirit and see what happens. Sköl!

"It's a marathon, not a sprint" is sage advice you'll hear from Tales of the Cocktail conference veterans.  Ms. Cocktail Den and I heard it in 2014 when we first went to New Orleans for Tales.  Early that year we dealt with a serious health issue (which fortunately resolved) and the death of our long time cat (the basis of the Mooch, my first original creation). Those events helped us decide to go to Tales. We're so glad we did.  We met so many talented, cool, and friendly people (there were many, but I'll go ahead and name check Lauren Mote and Josh Morton) and had such a great experience it inspired us to create the Wulf Cocktail Den.

Back to the "marathon, not a sprint" advice.  What does it really mean? Pace yourself while you have fun.  You will have a lot of fun because of the people at Tales and the wonderfully unique city of New Orleans.  Of course, New Orleans is not known for moderation.  Tales veterans know a little moderation makes your time at Tales a lot more fun, but a lack of moderation can be a problem. Here's a hilariously horrifying example -- one afternoon in 2016 we saw a Tales attendee (we knew because he had the right wristband) passed out in front of the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street.  Not the lobby of the hotel, where he probably was a guest.  Not the hotel entryway.  Not the sidewalk.  On Bourbon Street itself. I hope the poor guy showered with bleach and burned his clothes.

Whether you're a Tales virgin, a Tales veteran, or someone who simply likes cocktails (and you probably are if you're reading this), you may enjoy these other suggestions for attending Tales:

1.  Rehydrate as you dehydrate. Even if you only have a sip or two of the drinks (I definitely recommend you do not drink everything unless you have a disturbingly weird desire to end up like Mr. Bourbon Street), it'll add up quicker than you think.  Combine that with the torrid (not in a good way) heat of New Orleans, and you can become dehydrated quickly. You don't want to end up like Pheidipiddes, the original marathoner (spoiler alert -- he died).  However, if you steadily drink water throughout the day, you'll be like the Energizer Bunny.  Who would you rather be?

2.  It's about the people, people.   You know how most people normally bond over alcohol?  That effect is exponentially larger at Tales. You may remember the drinks, the music, or the atmosphere, but it'll be the people who will resonate with you.

3.  Try and try again. Ask questions and go to seminars because you will learn all sorts of things.  Tales is where Ms. Cocktail Den and I learned we really don't hate all gin. Similarly, there were some concoctions new to us that looked disgusting when we read them but tasted great. I know I'm going to sound like a stereotypical parent trying to get their kid to eat food, but I don't care ... if you don't try something, how do you know if you like it or not?

4.  Expand your New Orleans horizons. We like New Orleans so much we named Mooch's successor Satchmo (featured in the Orange Satchmo and Hurricane posts). New Orleans is a city with its own traditions and rhythms, and it's fine if you have your own traditions and rhythms when you're there.  For example, whenever Ms. Cocktail Den and I go to New Orleans we always have dinner at Antoine's (pictured in the Vieux Carre post and the source of the Antoine's Smile).  However, we always try to see or do something different when we're in town.  This has led to some memorable experiences such as visiting the National World War II Museum, or listening to Linnzi Zaorski at a club in the Marigny.

Are you looking to learn more about cocktails? Thirsty for a drink?  Ready to go to Tales?  Then, ahem, pardon my French -- laissez les bon temps roulé!

Sanguine is an odd word in the English language.  Even though it derives from the Latin word for "blood," it means positive or confident.  The Sanguinella is the brainchild of the Villa Massa distillery.  The Sanguinella is not far removed from the Italian Sunrise, one of my first original creations, and I slightly adapted the original recipe.

1 ounce Lupo limoncello
1 ounce Campari
.5 ounces super simple syrup
Juice from 1/8 lemon
Juice from 1/4 orange

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with confidence, and strain into a chilled glass.  Lemon or orange garnish optional.

The original Sanguinella calls for much more citrus juice. However, I didn't want the acidity of the lemon and orange juices to dominate the drink.  The Lupo limoncello and Campari already bring those flavors to this refreshing liquid party, so I cut back on the juices.  Speaking of parties, I suspect the Sanguinella would be a very good drink to serve at them, especially in warm weather.

Have a Sanguinella, and have a bloody good time.