3 Best Vodka Cocktails for Swedish Midsummer

Ask any Swede to name the biggest celebration in the Swedish calendar and the answer will almost always be the same: Midsummer.

Midsummer is a festive high time in Sweden that’s celebrated on a Friday between 19 and 25 June. It’s when Swedes sing and dance and celebrate the longest day of the year. It’s also when they pretend to be frogs and hop around a maypole. Don’t ask… 

Like any celebration, food, friends and great drinks are the cornerstone of Midsummer. So, if you’re hosting your own Midsummer celebrations and wondering what drinks to mix, we’ve got three drinks for you that capture the essence of Midsummer. 

Here at Absolut, we’re proud of our Swedish heritage and since Absolut Vodka is made in Åhus, a tiny village in the south of Sweden, we’ve put together a list of three vodka cocktails that are so Swedish, they could win a Nobel Prize. 

But that’s not all, each of these vodka cocktails use a different Absolut flavored vodka. So, grab your cocktail shaker and let’s toast to Midsummer! 

1. Swedish Spritz
 

The Swedish Spritz couldn’t be more Swedish if it tried. Fill a coupe glass with ice cubes, add Absolut Citron (lemon-flavored vodka), Fino sherry and cucumber bitters then stir. Next, top up with elderflower tonic water, and garnish with cucumber, strawberry, and a sprig of dill. Skål! 

Come on! strawberries, elderflower, and dill – basically, all the flavors of Midsummer in a single drink. Here’s how to make a Swedish Spritz:

1. Grab a wine glass and fill it with ice cubes.
2. Measure and pour 30 ml Absolut Citron into the glass.
3. Measure and add 15 ml Fino Sherry.
4. Add 2 dashes of Cucumber Bitters.
5. Top up with Elderflower Tonic. 
6. Give everything a gentle stir.
7. Garnish with a Cucumber Ribbon, a couple of fresh Strawberries and a fresh bunch of Dill.

2. The Swedish Swing
 

Everyone knows the classic Singapore Sling cocktail, but what would happen if you put a Swedish twist on it?  

The Swedish Sling is a vodka version of a Singapore Sling and follows the same recipe except it uses Absolut Grapefruit instead of gin.

 

Just like the original Gin version, the Swedish Sling tastes very much like a fruity punch mixes cherry liqueur, pineapple juice, grenadine syrup, lime juice, triple sec, French herbal liqueur
and a dash of bitters. But then there’s those delicious grapefruit notes from the Absolut Grapefruit. Wow!

“Bartenders are going to hate me for saying it, but I kinda prefer it (to the Singapore Sling),” says its creator, Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Absolut Global Brand Ambassador. 

Watch Rico make both a Singapore Sling and Swedish Sling!

3. Swedish Summer
 

We weren’t kidding when we said elderflower is a quintessential Midsummer ingredient. So, with that in mind, we’ve got another cocktail that boasts the flavor of elderflower.

The Swedish Summer mixes Absolut Lime, our delicious lime-flavored vodka, together with the floral charm of elderflower cordial and the effervescence of crisp soda water.

Here’s how to make a Swedish Summer cocktail:

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Pour in 30ml Absolut Lime and 10ml elderflower cordial.
3. Top with soda water and stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve.

Oh-so-fresh, oh-so-Midsummer!

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Looking for more drinks-priation? Explore more cocktail recipes.