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Scandinavians enjoy blåbærsuppe–blueberry or bilberry soup—chilled in the summer, or as a hot drink in colder weather, and this cocktail is a spiked riff on it.
Refreshing and herbal, this is a fruit-based cocktail that will please even those who don’t like fruity or sweet cocktails. Not too sweet, thanks to the omission of any type of syrup or cordial, this recipe is straightforward: good gin, plump berries, and a touch of spice, served as cold as ice.
Now to be honest, I’m not drinking much alcohol this month, and I realize that some of you don’t drink at all. If that’s the case but the idea of blåbærsuppe sounds like just the thing for a hot summer day, you can find my recipe in my book Modern Scandinavian Baking: A Cookbook of Sweet Treats and Savory Bakes (see Chilled Blueberry Soup with Sweetened Crème Fraîche and Almonds on page 103, along with a recipe for delicate almond macaroons, or mandelbiskvier). Or find my recipe for chilled rhubarb soup with vanilla ice cream here.
A note about the blueberries: I start with frozen blueberries because their sweetness is consistent and slightly more pronounced than fresh berries. This is important here, because I avoid adding processed sugar to cocktails whenever possible. Choose an herbal gin like Plymouth, ideally one in which you can notice juniper as a prominent botanical.
Before we get to the recipe, here are some other cocktail recipes in the archives:
- Sparkling Aquavit Cocktail with Strawberry and Orange (easy to make as a mocktail too!)
- Queen’s Berries Martini with Vodka and a Touch of Lillet
- Gløgg (Scandinavian Mulled Wine)
And now, here’s the recipe for the blåbærsuppe-inspired cocktail!
Gin and Muddled Blueberries with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries plus 6 more for garnish
- A few fresh rosemary leaves
- 6 ounces gin
- 2-4 dashes Pechauds bitters (Angostura will work in a pinch but will lack the subtly of Pechauds, which I really love with the blueberry here)
- 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-chill two coupe glasses.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the frozen blueberries and rosemary leaves into the gin—they’ll break apart easily. Add the bitters and a cup or so of ice. Shake vigorously until ice cold and frosty.
- Strain into the chilled glasses. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and drop the extra frozen berries into the bottom.
Find my recipe for blåbærsuppe and even more sweet and savory treats in my cookbook Modern Scandinavian Baking!
