Zagreb Twilight — Croatian wormwood bitter with elderflower and lemon, short and over ice

Zagreb Twilight

Croatian wormwood bitter with elderflower and lemon, short and over ice

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Ingredients

  • 3/4 ozLemon Juice
    Fresh
  • 1 3/4 ozBadel Pelinkovac
    Croatia's wormwood bitter
    Substitute: Another wormwood-led digestivo
  • 3/4 ozElderflower Liqueur
    Measured; it is the whole balance
    Substitute: Elderflower cordial, with less of it

Instructions

  1. Add 1 3/4 oz Pelinkovac, 3/4 oz elderflower liqueur and 3/4 oz lemon juice to a shaker
  2. Shake with ice
  3. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a slice of lemon

Technique Notes

Elderflower is the whole balance here, so measure it. Pelinkovac is wormwood-forward and unforgiving, and a heavy pour of liqueur turns a bitter drink into a sweet one in about half a centilitre.

Why the Zagreb Twilight Works

Wormwood is the most aggressive bitter in the cabinet and elderflower is close to the sweetest floral, so this is a drink built on a single large contrast rather than a blend. Lemon sits between them and keeps it from splitting in two.

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