Order one of these hot new imports – only recently available in the U.S. – and shake up your cocktail with some international intrigue.
Salers Gentiane
Made from the root of a flowering Alpine plant called gentian, this bittersweet French aperitif has notes of cut grass, fresh herbs and green vegetables.
Though sometimes served predinner on its own over ice, try it in the In Spades cocktail at Pouring Ribbons (225 Avenue B; 917-656-6788), where bartender Joaquín Simó pairs it with Avèze (another bitter gentian liqueur), sweet Galliano L’Autentico and overproof bourbon ($14).
“Think of it as a simple Manhattan variation with the two gentianes combined to replace both the vermouth and the aromatic bitters,” says Simó.
Bäska Snaps med Malört
This pungent, Scandinavian-style (but actually produced in France) aquavit — a neutral, potato-derived spirit — is imbued with anise-like flavors of caraway, licorice and citrus, then finished with a pinch of sugar and a bittering dose of distilled wormwood.
Seek it out at Paulaner (265 Bowery; 212-780-0300) in the stiff, fragrant RyeZirBaska made with High West Double Rye and Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur ($11).
Elisir Novasalus Amaro
From one of Italy’s northernmost Alpine provinces comes Cappelletti Elisir Novasalus, a bold and exceptionally complex amaro (Italian liqueur) with a rich red wine base and a shockingly bitter finish.
The most common amaro, Fernet Branca, seems like child’s play in comparison. Try Novasalus as a post-dinner sipper at Franny’s (348 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn; 718-230-0221), where it’s served up unadorned ($8).
“It’s truly bitter, complex and thick like molasses,” says Franny’s sommelier Luca Pasquinelli. “You either love it or you don’t!”
Crème de Noyaux
Brilliant pink in color, this Dutch liqueur gets its amaretto-like flavor not from almonds but from sweet apricot kernels. It’s best known as an ingredient in the Pink Squirrel, a classic Milwaukee cocktail from the ’50s.
When that fuschia-cocktail fell out of fashion, Creme de Noyaux became all but impossible to find in the U.S.
But cocktail geeks have rediscovered it in recent years, and it’s becoming more widely available. Try a Pink Squirrel ($14) for yourself at Dakota Bar (53 W. 72nd St.; 212-787-0700).
Brennivín Schnapps
Affectionately known as “Black Death,” Iceland’s signature spirit is a pungent, unsweetened schnapps made from potatoes and seasoned with caraway seeds. Knock back a shot at Nordic-centric Skál in Chinatown (37 Canal St.; 212-777-7518) or try it in their Raven cocktail, a bold but soothing blend of Brennivín, anejo rum and Dubonnet ($13).