Under Kurant

The Under Kurant (or Under Currant, or Undercurrent) is a sweet vodka cocktail, which is found as either a shot or a straight-up cocktail in a martini glass. I prefer them as a shot, but a martini-style cocktail is more traditional so that's the recipe I'll use here.

Served in a martini glass, the drink has a dramatic appearance: Bright blue-green liquid above with a purple layer in the bottom of the glass. When I'm at a bar where I'm friendly with the bartender and there is a crowd of curious drinkers, I call this one of my Judas goat drinks: I order it, and half the bar promptly asks the bartender what it is and if they can have one too. This is functionally similar to the scene in High Fidelity where Rob Gordon says I will now sell five copies of The Three EPs by The Beta Band, and plays the record in-store.

Ingredients.

• 1 and 1/2 ounce of Absolut Kurant or some other currant flavored vodka. If you don't have currant vodka, I find that Ciroc vodka is a good substitute.
• 3/4 ounce of blue curaçao.
• 1/2 ounce or less of Chambord or some other raspberry liqueur.
• 1 and 1/2 ounces of pineapple juice; I've seen recipes that call for more, but this is how most bartenders seem to do it.

Directions.

1. Chill a cocktail or martini glass by filling it to the top with ice and then adding water.
2. Vigorously shake the pineapple juice, vodka, and curaçao with ice.
3. Empty the chilled martini glass and strain the shaken ingredients into the glass.
4. Carefully pour the Chambord into the glass over the back of a bar spoon that is just breaking the surface of the drink.
   Done properly the Chambord should sink to the bottom of the glass without mixing strongly.

I have a hard time not smiling after I drink one of these. The cool temperature, the sweetness, and the balance of acidity and fruit make this a delightful summer drink. I like this recipe because I feel it follows the classic rules for a good drink recipe: base spirit, modifier, flavoring agent, and mixer. The sweetness of the pineapple juice and the curaçao also make this an extremely accessible drink to the American palate.

Changing the blue curaçao for Triple Sec and slightly increasing the amount of Chambord and pineapple juice in the drink give it a purple and gold theme without significantly changing the flavor profile. This can be fun modification if you're entertaining during a Minnesota Vikings game.

Like it says on the bottle, please enjoy responsibly.