I read this article with particular interest as I have been a big Combier fan since a distillery tour back in 2007. You’re right - you won’t easily find Combier’s products in liquor stores or on bar menus other than my bar at home when friends often get treated to something from Combier as an after dinner drink or featured in a cocktail if I’m inclined to make one ( I prefer my drinks straight & neat to feature 1 outstanding dram ). Combier Liqueur d’Orange is used as Triple Sec in anything wanting such a liqueur in my house, particularly in martinis where I tend to feature it. Kümmel is a favorite of mine that I don’t reach for often enough. I like it on its own as a digestif. Sad that innovative brands using true ingredients but lacking marketing $ can’t break through but such is true of virtually every industry.
I really like silver bullets (gin, kümmel, a little lemon), though they don’t seem to be too popular. I’ve also done a Manhattan variant with the vermouth swapped out for 1/2 oz kümmel, 1/2 oz px sherry, and black walnut bitters—kind of a raisin rye bread thing.
I'm a bit late to the game, but here are three cocktail recipes that I've liked that have Kummel in them. I didn't create these and I used Gilka Kummel (38% ABV) instead of Combier (which I think has a similar ABV, if not exactly the same) but found these recipes in a couple cocktail books I have. The first two come from the Boston Cocktails: Drunk & Told by Frederic Yarm.
Before Night Falls (credited to Sahil Mehta): 1oz Mezcal (I used Vida), 1oz Manzanilla Sherry (used Lustau), 0.75oz Green Chartreuse, 0.25oz Kummel & 0.5oz Lime Juice. Shake and strain into a coupe.
Tropicalia (credited to Sahil again): 1.5oz Leblon Cachaca, 0.75oz Lime Juice, 0.5oz Passion Fruit Syrup (used Small Hands), 0.25oz Velvet Falernum & 0.25oz Kummel. Shake and strain into a coupe.
The last one comes from the Claridge's Cocktail Book. The Landmark of Mayfair (credited to Nathan McCarley-O'Neill): 45ml Beefeater Gin, 10ml Green Chartreuse, 10ml Wolfschmidt Kummel (I used Gilka, but Wolfschmidt is also 39% like Combier), 20ml Lemon Juice & 10ml Simple Syrup (1to1). Shake and strain into a couple, garnish with an Amarena Cherry.
I can't take credit for this (nor have I tried it yet)- but I was planning to buy a bottle of kummel just to try out this: https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-old-piano.html
Totally forgot about Root.
I read this article with particular interest as I have been a big Combier fan since a distillery tour back in 2007. You’re right - you won’t easily find Combier’s products in liquor stores or on bar menus other than my bar at home when friends often get treated to something from Combier as an after dinner drink or featured in a cocktail if I’m inclined to make one ( I prefer my drinks straight & neat to feature 1 outstanding dram ). Combier Liqueur d’Orange is used as Triple Sec in anything wanting such a liqueur in my house, particularly in martinis where I tend to feature it. Kümmel is a favorite of mine that I don’t reach for often enough. I like it on its own as a digestif. Sad that innovative brands using true ingredients but lacking marketing $ can’t break through but such is true of virtually every industry.
I really like silver bullets (gin, kümmel, a little lemon), though they don’t seem to be too popular. I’ve also done a Manhattan variant with the vermouth swapped out for 1/2 oz kümmel, 1/2 oz px sherry, and black walnut bitters—kind of a raisin rye bread thing.
I spy with my little eye the Catoctin Creek Old Tom Gin! Also, I want this Pierre Ferrand yuzu Curacao. Where they sell that at?
I'm a bit late to the game, but here are three cocktail recipes that I've liked that have Kummel in them. I didn't create these and I used Gilka Kummel (38% ABV) instead of Combier (which I think has a similar ABV, if not exactly the same) but found these recipes in a couple cocktail books I have. The first two come from the Boston Cocktails: Drunk & Told by Frederic Yarm.
Before Night Falls (credited to Sahil Mehta): 1oz Mezcal (I used Vida), 1oz Manzanilla Sherry (used Lustau), 0.75oz Green Chartreuse, 0.25oz Kummel & 0.5oz Lime Juice. Shake and strain into a coupe.
Tropicalia (credited to Sahil again): 1.5oz Leblon Cachaca, 0.75oz Lime Juice, 0.5oz Passion Fruit Syrup (used Small Hands), 0.25oz Velvet Falernum & 0.25oz Kummel. Shake and strain into a coupe.
The last one comes from the Claridge's Cocktail Book. The Landmark of Mayfair (credited to Nathan McCarley-O'Neill): 45ml Beefeater Gin, 10ml Green Chartreuse, 10ml Wolfschmidt Kummel (I used Gilka, but Wolfschmidt is also 39% like Combier), 20ml Lemon Juice & 10ml Simple Syrup (1to1). Shake and strain into a couple, garnish with an Amarena Cherry.