u/ArchmageIlmryn

4 cl (4/3 oz) rum (Friendship Rum Lönn, maple aged blend of Spanish- and English-style rums)

2 cl (2/3 oz) unsweetened elderflower snaps (Hallands Fläder)

2 dashes cocoa bitters

2 barspoons of simple syrup

A handful (~6) frozen raspberries

Add raspberries and ice to a glass, pour on liquor, bitters, and syrup, and stir well.

The initial scent is a floral mix of elderflower and a hint of raspberry. The drink has a mouthfeel very reminiscent of a classic Old Fashioned. The best word that comes to mind to describe the flavor is a mouthful of fancy chocolate, the rich rum and cocoa bitters mix to give a chocolate base, with the elderflower snaps giving a floral overtone and the raspberry providing a fruity pop. It does taste like a raspberry dark chocolate bar in cocktail form, I am reminded specifically of a Lindt Raspberry Intense I had a while ago. I was going for a spring-summery cocktail, but this does feel more like a winter sipper.

Full disclosure: this is a riff on a drink I've previously invented for a student magazine article involving cocktails featuring Swedish snaps, but I think it is different enough that it should be fine to include in the competition. The original Elder Fashioned involved a lighter rum and lime, giving a very different feel to this one, being bright and zesty and much more of a summer drink.

So I got these two bottles of acid-adjusted lingonberry and rhubarb, and decided to do a quick comparison. Made three whisky sours the exact same way:

2 cl Beaver's Dram

1 cl rich simple syrup

1 cl acid (lemon juice, lingonberry acid, or rhubarb acid)

Shaken, then strained into a small glass.

The results are interesting, although I probably did not pick the best whisky for the comparison - the port barrel note in Beaver's Dram comes out really strongly in a sour.

The classic lemon sour is the sharpest, bringing out some of the rye spice on top of the port notes. Rhubarb is the most mellow, really emphasizing the port, with the freshness of rhubarb providing a nice background. Lingonberry is the most interesting one, still bringing out the port note, but complimenting it really well with the slight bitterness of lingonberry.

Both the lingonberry and rhubarb acids are also very nicely clear and result in drinks that clear quickly after shaking. I would probably stir drinks using them rather than shake in the future, unless using egg white or other foamers.