How to Make the Drinks Aquavit Clam and Ayran and the History Behind Them

Learning the history of your mixed drinks is just as important as properly serving them. It is also a fun way to understand the process behind the world's greatest concoctions.

Aquavit Clam is a fancy drink from Norway. Aquavit, the corn brandy with a slight aroma of caraway seeds, was produced initially in Denmark and is now popular throughout the whole of Scandinavia. An Aquavit of a special kind is "Linie Aquavit." Its characteristic taste is obtained in an unusual manner; shaken on stormy seas and frequently subjected to extreme changes in temperature, it becomes surprisingly mild. Stored in Oakwood barrels, it crosses the equator twice in the great liners of the Norwegian Shipping Line before being bottled on its return. The labels on the bottles with the details of the ship's voyage read like a logbook. No wonder clam juice is added to this drink associated with the seas. However, you can omit the clam juice if you like, this aperitif tastes excellent without this ingredient as well. What you need to make this is:

Ice cubes

8cl ( 2 3/4 fl oz / 1/3 cup) Aquavit

4cl (3 tablespoons) clam juice

4cl (4 tablespoons) tomato juice

3 dashes Worchester sauce

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

1 pinch salt

A little pepper

Put ice cubes into a mixing glass, add all ingredients, mix well and strain the mixture into a tumbler filled with a little ice. Serve immediately as an aperitif.

Conversely Ayran is a yogurt drink from Turkey. Whereas the European concept of all the while nomads from Central Asia was that their only source of food was the raw meat under the saddle ridden until it was soft, these nomads actually mainly lived off milk and milk products. For their war crusades they armed themselves with cream dried in the sun, which they diluted with water before use. They quenched their thirst with sour milk and yogurt. The cold refreshing summer drink was even called Ayran thousands of years ago and today it still has the same name with a different spelling among most of the peoples of Central Asia and Transcaucasia. However, the Moslem Turks have become particularly attached to it. Here's what you need for the drink:

1/4 liter (9 fl oz / 1 1/4 cup) yogurt

6 tablespoons ice cold water

Pinch salt

2-3 ice cubes

Garnish: 1 sprig of mint

Each well chilled yogurt and a child ball with whisk and next well with ice cold water. Season to taste with salt. Placed ice cubes in a large tall glass (tumbler), pour over Ayran, stir briskly and briefly with a long handled spoon and serve the drink decorated with a fresh sprig of mint.

Ayran must be served and drunk immediately. If the drink is chilled, it can only be kept for an hour at the maximum. It's a refreshing drink that tastes good all day.