Salmiakki Koskenkorva

Salmiakki Koskenkorva

Cocktail
File:Salmiakki Koskenkorva.jpg Salmiakki Koskenkorva Bottle
Type	Cocktail
Base spirit	Vodka
Served	Neat: undiluted and without ice
Preparation	Premixed cocktail

Salmiakki Koskenkorva, (also Salmiakkikossu for short or generically as Salmari) is a pre-mixed vodka cocktail which caused a minor revolution in drinking culture in Finland during 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 Turkish Pepper brand salty liquorice.

Before the 1990s, Finland had a very thin and stratified cocktail culture. A single episode of The Simpsons changed all that; at Moe's Tavern, Homer Simpson invents a new cocktail, the Flaming Moe, which is a huge hit and earns Moe a fortune. The cocktail consisted of cough medicine amongst other ingredients. Inspired by this, some Finnish drinking establishments started serving a similar drink made out of ground ammonium chloride (salmiakki in Finnish) based candy. It became a trendy drink especially amongst the youth of the day, for which some consider and call it a "Teenager's vodka".

However, one must note that the origin and recipe of the beverage are based on anecdotal reference. The concept of mixing vodka and licorice probably existed long before the 1990s, since both Koskenkorva Viina vodka and Turkish Pepper licorice existed before the alleged invention the cocktail. On the other hand, Salmiakki Koskenkorva was one of the first pre-mixed cocktails that hit the market in Finland. Another well-known anecdote says that singer Jari Sillanpää invented the drink when he was working as a bartender in the late 1980s.

The taste of Salmiakki Koskenkorva resembles strongly that of black licorice and cough medicine (this is because the original mixture, see Apteekin salmiakki, used in Salmiakki Koskenkorva is also used in cough medicines), and has the additional effect of increasing salivation.

Tabloid scaremongering

Based on an urban legend of a mythical teenager who suffered a heart attack as a result of Salmari, tabloids were able to foment a furor strong enough for the state monopoly hard alcohol retailer to withdraw the premixed drink from sale throughout the country. They did not destroy their large stock, but merely warehoused it for five years, until the furor 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 Even when Salmiakkikossu was withdrawn, the effect it had on Finnish cocktail culture remained unabated.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 a hoax, the drink does have some dangerous properties (as do all strongly-flavored liquors). The strong flavor 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