Blue Nimbus

I've decided to consolidate my drinks cupboard. Out will go all the idiosyncratic bottles whose reasons for purchase were never clear enough, freeing up more space for the good stuff (whisky, gin, bourbon, wine, beer, maybe tequila). As part of this process, I've started looking for ways of using up the stranger stuff, and into this category firmly falls Smirnoff Nordic Berries vodka. There ain't nothing wrong with it - it's smooth, certainly, and served over ice can provide an interesting blue-flavoured twist to the ordinary spirit. But it's appeal is nevertheless limited, so it has to go. For a party of seven, I came up with a cocktail using the Smirnoff and a couple of other bits I had lying around. Note that the mixture can be prepared in advance, before being topped off with soda water for drinking on demand. The recipe is for a single serving.

Pre-prepared mixture

Blue Nimbus

60ml (2oz) Smirnoff Nordic Berries vodka

22.5ml (0.75oz) creme de mure (blackberry liqueur)

22.5ml (0.75oz) lime juice

1 tbls apple and blueberry puree
Soda water

Add the vodka, creme de mure, lime juice and puree into a cocktail shaker with a couple of ice cubes and shake to mix thoroughly. Pour into a highball glass. When ready to serve, drop in a few ice cubes and stir again before topping off with chilled soda water.

I can't say I was familiar with the concept of Nordic berries, but a quick search turned up cloudberries, hence the Nimbus in this drink's name. Never mind that said berries are actually yellow. The cocktail was fruity and refreshing, with the puree and creme de mure adding structure. The Nordic berry flavour was much diluted, but the overall impression of blue fruit was unmistakable.