One of the most famous symbols of Estonia is perhaps the Vana Tallinn liqueur. Its production began in 1962, and recently the most popular Estonian alcoholic drink celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Vana Tallinn liqueur contains dark rum and an original set of spices - they are what give the drink a characteristic mild taste.

Vana Tallinn liqueur is a wonderful souvenir that you can bring back from your trip. A bottle of fragrant liquor will be a great gift for loved ones, and a good reminder of the trip.

Today the trademark "Vana Tallinn" belongs to the company "Liviko". Every year, thousands of bottles of Vana Tallinn liqueur and drinks based on it are produced in Estonia - they differ from the original in strength and the addition of new ingredients.

For example, "Vana Tallinn Cream" (Vana Tallinn Cream) is an exquisite and not too strong cream liqueur. Available in several flavors: creamy, coffee, chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It is great for making light cocktails and desserts or as an addition to coffee.

In 2012-2013, the company decided to conduct several experiments on the usual cocktail recipe. This is how “special editions” of Vana Tallinn liqueur appeared, dedicated to winter and summer.

Vana Tallinn Winter Spice is a soft and strong drink designed to comfortably while away frosty winter evenings. It includes such traditionally "winter" spices as cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg - by the way, they are also used in the preparation of Christmas cookies. This drink can be found in stores during the cold season - autumn and winter.

Vana Tallinn Summer Lime is another seasonal product based on Vana Tallinn liqueur, which is available in spring and summer. Its taste is very different from both the classic liquor and the "winter" one: citrus and mint essential oils are added to the drink, which, in combination, give an excellent refreshing effect.

For connoisseurs of refined taste, Vana Tallinn Heritage Edition liqueur is produced - it contains caramel, which successfully complements the traditional aroma of the drink.

In 2013, in honor of the release of the 100 millionth bottle of Vana Tallinn liqueur, Vana Tallinn Signature was created. This drink - a combination of the best French cognac and original liqueur - was recognized as the best alcoholic drink in Estonia.

Any of the varieties of liquor will be a wonderful souvenir to remember the trip. You can buy Vana Tallinn liqueurs in any store where alcohol is sold. In tourist areas and Liviko branded stores, you can find liquor in original clay bottles and flasks - you can bring them as a gift.

Since the liquor is extremely popular, there are many ways to use it. There is no single rule on how to drink Vana Tallinn liquor, but most often it is served with hot strong coffee or in its pure form - with crushed ice. In addition, in every cafe or restaurant in Tallinn you can order liquor-based cocktails.

Its taste goes well with a variety of ingredients, so there are a lot of cocktails from Vana Tallinn: shots and long drinks, cold and hot, coffee and tea-based cocktails. In winter, hot drinks containing liquor become especially popular - they perfectly warm in the cold and add a festive mood.

Today there is a great variety of cocktails based on the most famous Estonian liquor. "Vana Tallinn" goes well with juices, syrups and other alcohol, and this gives a huge scope for imagination. We have collected the best cocktail recipes from Vana Tallinn - you can use them at a friendly party or a family holiday.

Vana Tallinn Coffee

For this cocktail you will need: 200 ml of strong coffee, whipped cream or frothed milk, 40 ml of Vana Tallinn liqueur, chocolate chips, cinnamon or chocolate syrup for decoration.

Coffee is poured into a tall heat-resistant glass, after which liquor is poured in a thin stream. Top the cocktail with cream or milk foam, which can be sprinkled with chocolate and cinnamon.

Vana Tallinn Apple

The simplest but most delicious cocktail is a mixture of Vana Tallinn liqueur and clarified apple juice in equal proportions. A glass of cocktail can be garnished with a slice of lemon or carambola.

Vana Tallinn Mojito

The world-famous Mojito cocktail can also be prepared with liquor.

You will need: 40 ml of liqueur, mint, half a lime, brown sugar, soda water, crushed ice.

In a glass, mash mint leaves, sugar and half a lime, cut into thin slices. After that, fill the glass with crushed ice, pour in the liquor in a circular motion and add soda to the volume. The cocktail is garnished with mint leaves and a lime wedge.

Royal Tallinn

Pour 20 ml of Vana Tallinn liqueur into the bottom of a chilled champagne glass. Gently top up the glass with dry champagne, avoiding mixing parts of the cocktail.

Vana Tallinn liqueur was created by a woman for men. This fact alone is enough to make you want to try this strong and slightly tart drink in a dark bottle. For half a century of its existence, Vana Tallinn has successfully "taken root" in the family of the best liqueurs in Europe and continues to be popular in many countries.

Drink manufacturers, especially in the last two decades, constantly offered the consumer new modifications of it, which only fueled the interest of lovers of sweet, spicy and strong liquors.

Composition and production technology

Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn) is a young drink, so it is mysterious for the consumer. The technology of its preparation and the full composition are kept in strict confidence. It is authentically known that the drink recipe includes:

• Jamaican dark rum;
• spices;
• citrus oils;
• vanilla;
• cinnamon;
• sugar;
• water.

This list is far from complete, and taking into account the many modifications, it does not at all reflect the real picture. But the more interesting it is for the consumer, who each time tries to unravel the mystery of the drink, but each time forgets about it, enjoying the unusual taste and rich aroma of Old Tallinn liquor.

Apparently, the technology for making liquor is maceration. In other words, it is an infusion of the constituent dry ingredients in strong alcohol, but this is only the assumption of connoisseurs, nothing more.

Varieties of the drink

The basis of the taste of all types of Vana Tallinn liquor is dark rum and citrus notes. Additives enrich the aromatic palette, and sometimes even change the structure of the drink. LIVIKO (the only manufacturer of the famous liquor) offers:

• Classic Vana Tallinn - a drink with an original taste (rum, spices, citrus fruits); different strength - 40% is popular in Europe, 45% is the choice of the Estonians themselves, as well as Russians, 50% is exported to Scandinavia, where it is in demand in the winter; a strong variety contains caramel, softening the burning temperament of the drink;
• Creamy Vana Tallinn - the cream line of liqueurs includes drinks with a strength of 16%, in addition to the classic creamy taste, options are offered with chocolate, coffee, and also with a bright orange aroma, this line is considered "ladies'";
• Winter spice - this variant of liquor can be found on store shelves only in winter; it is positioned as a Christmas drink with a strength of 35%, in the taste of which cardamom, nutmeg and anise are clearly felt;
• Summer lime (Summer Lime) - on sale from April to September, the fortress is also 35%, mint and lime are added to the original taste; it is an excellent base for cocktails;
• Heritage (Heritage Edition) - gift format (an elegant bottle in a cardboard box), a fortress - 40%, there are notes of oak bark and caramel in the taste;
• Flourish (Signature) - executive class drink, strength - 40%, is a mixture of French cognac with classic liqueur;
• Elegance (Elegance) - an exquisite variation of the classic taste of liquor, rum from the island of Martinique and additional spices are added, strength - 40%.

How to drink Vana Tallinn liqueur and what it can be mixed with

Like any other noble drink, Estonian liquor is best drunk neat with ice. The classic Vana Tallinn goes well with strong tea or coffee. However, the craze for low-strength cocktails forces bartenders to invent new mixtures, many of which have become popular. The most successful cocktails:

• Tallinn Apple - apple juice and liqueur in equal amounts, mix in a tall glass, add ice, garnish with a slice of lemon;
• Royal Tallinn - classic liqueur (20 ml), dry champagne (120 ml), mixed in a flute glass;
• Limbo - in a shaker, mix liquor (40 ml), lemon vodka (60 ml), lemon juice (20 ml), pineapple juice (160 ml), ice. Pour into a tall glass, garnish with a cherry;
• Hammer - in a low glass, mix 60 ml of liquor and 80 ml of whiskey, garnish with a slice of lemon;
• Burning Tallinn - pour 40 ml of a creamy variety of liquor into a small glass, carefully pour 20 ml of classic strong liquor over a bar spoon, set fire to a cocktail before serving.

Vana Tallinn in its pure form is most often served at the end of the meal. The best snack for him is sweet fruits, cakes, sweets. Cocktails with Vana Tallinn in most cases act as an aperitif and snacks are not provided for them.

Funny legends and true story

No matter how hard the Estonian advertisers tried, they could not come up with a suitable legend for their liquor. Naive stories about a medieval alchemist who invented the elixir of immortality in the dungeons of Tallinn were too reminiscent of the well-known stories of the creation of other liqueurs. And the legend about the ship that sank in the Pirita River with a cargo of Caribbean rum also did not stand up to criticism. Finally, advertisers completely abandoned the "historical" trail and spoke frankly about the history of the liqueur. The history is no less interesting.

In 1962, Ilse Maar, a liquor master, after many years of experimenting with the purest varieties of Caribbean rum and sets of spices, came up with a recipe for a drink that was decided to be called Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn). The new product combined several parameters that are pleasant to the Estonian taste at once: alcohol strength (Estonia is a cold, northern country), an abundance of spices and exotic flavors (traditional Estonian food is distinguished by insipidity and sour taste), sweetness (this parameter is pleasant to everyone without exception). All together made a unique and bright bouquet.

Vana Tallinn already in 1969 received his first prize - a quality mark and a certificate of honor from the USSR Ministry of Trade. The 21st century brought European fame to the liquor and eight gold and silver medals at once at international wine competitions. It is this liquor, along with Kalev chocolate, that is the hallmark of Estonia in the world.

The richest selection of liqueurs from the Vana Tallinn family is available in Estonia, in LIVIKO branded stores, where you can also find the lowest prices. Outside the country of origin, as a rule, there are 3-4 most popular varieties. A half-liter bottle of Old Tallinn will cost the buyer on average 5-7 euros. Executive class drinks cost from 15 to 35 euros.

The undoubted advantages of liquor include the fact that it contains only natural ingredients, doctors often recommend the drink as a remedy for colds (no more than 50 ml in a cup of hot tea before bedtime).

Vana Tallinn is an amazingly tasty, fragrant rum-based liqueur. Citrus oils, cinnamon and vanilla give it a soft, velvety rum-caramel flavor. The strength of the drink depends on the type: in the classics it can be 40.45 and 50%, in creamy variations - 16%. The drink is produced by the Estonian company Liviko.

Liquor Vana Tallinn is a symbol of Estonia, the same as Riga Balsam in Latvia, vodka in Russia, in Japan. Every guest of the country strives to buy it. At the same time, the prices for Estonian "juice" (as "Old Tallinn" is sometimes called) are quite democratic - from 7 to 25 US dollars (for a half-liter bottle).

Historical outline

The history of Vana Tallinn liqueur begins with the legendary explosion in the laboratory of an old alchemist in the 12th century. He was never able to finish his work on the elixir of youth, because the river water carried away all his Talmuds, absorbing the results of his labors. Five centuries later, the river supplemented its gift to burn, cheer and rejuvenate with the fruity-rum taste that the conquerors from Jamaica brought with them.

Of course, this is a legend. Officially, the creators of the drink are master Jaan Siimo and his colleague Bernard Yurmo, who developed a sparkling recipe for the Liviko plant in 1962.

Until 2000, Vana Tallinn was produced only at 45 degrees, then other variations appeared with 40.50 and 16% strength, additions of cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, etc.

Vana Tallinn liqueur production technology

Modern Vana Tallinn has slight differences from what it was originally - in the Soviet Union. Now it includes real Caribbean (Jamaican) rum, not rum extract.

Alcohol is prepared by maceration (infusion), during which liquids absorb the taste, aroma and nutrients of other components.

The manufacturer did his best so that fans of the liquor could distinguish the real Vana Tallinn from a fake. The original drink is distinguished by:

• evenly pasted label;
• brand emblem on the cork;
• excise stamp;
• barcode starting with the number "474".

Types and varieties of Vana Tallinn liqueur

The brand line is striking in variety. It includes:

Classic liqueurs:

All three representatives are identical in taste and aroma. Their difference is only a fortress. These are dark chocolate, thick alcohols with a light, delicate citrus aroma, velvety, cinnamon-vanilla sweetness and burning hints of rum.

• Classic (45%) - loved by Estonians;
• Original (40%) - designed for Europeans;
• Strong (50%) - designed for Scandinavians.

Seasonal liqueurs:

Winter Spice (35%) - winter spices (cinnamon and anise, cardamom and nutmeg, vanilla and ginger) enrich the liquor, making it warm and warming. The packaging evokes thoughts of Christmas. On it is the night, snow-covered Estonian capital.

Summer Lime (35%) is a clear, slightly golden drink with a summer fresh bouquet of rum, lime and mint. On the label - bright shades of tropical nature.

Glogi (12%) is a magical tandem of classic liqueur and red wine. Grapes are felt in a delicate taste.

Tumma Lakritsi (35%) - dark copper, spicy alcohol with hints of licorice and spices. Designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence.

Eesti Wabariik (40%) is a duet of noble rum and exotic spices created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.

Exclusive 40% varieties of Vana Tallinn:

Elegance is a blend that combines rum from Martinique and oriental spices. The perfect cigar companion.

Heritage Edition is a limited edition product with woody notes. At its heart is 6-year-old rum aged in bourbon casks and water that has gone through a multi-stage purification system.

Signature is a blend that combines classic Vana Tallinn and French cognac. Appeared on the occasion of the anniversary release of the 100 millionth bottle with Old Tallinn.

Cream liqueurs 16% Vana Tallinn Cream

Original is the most delicate drink with a viscous, creamy caramel flavor. Tasters catch a creamy, citrus-rum bouquet in it, lovers compare it with caramel and boiled condensed milk cream.

Orange is an excellent cream liqueur with a touch of velvety cream and tropical oranges.

Chocolate - the incomparable taste of melting chocolate in a dark caramel drink is softened even more by the silky softness of cream and cinnamon-vanilla aroma.

Coffee - elegant coffee-creamy shades of dark cream will delight coffee lovers and those with a sweet tooth.

Ice-Cream is a silky, softest ensemble of vanilla ice cream and the freshest cream.

Yoghurt Vanilla is a snow-white alcohol made from natural yogurt and vanilla. It has a hint of pineapple acidity.

Cherry is a creamy creamy liquor with bright cherry notes.

How to drink Vana Tallinn liqueur and how to eat it

Liquor is used:

• solo;
• with pieces of ice;
• in a duet with coffee / cocoa / punch / tea (black or herbal);
• in mixes with juices (pineapple, lemon, apple, cranberry), lemonades (for example, sprite), other alcohol (champagne, vermouth);
• in cocktails and smoothies;
• instead of topping;
• in cooking (cooking).

Before drinking, Vana Tallinn is cooled, except for Glogi - it is served warm. Liqueur for coffee is served separately; the guests themselves mix them up.

Serving options (glasses):

• crystal, with crushed ice - Isti Vabarik;
• for liquor/cognac - Signature;
• for whiskey - Classic, Elegance;
• highballs for long drinks.

Store an open bottle of Estonian liqueur at temperatures between 5 and 25 °C.

• desserts (chocolate, ice cream, etc.) - for longs;
• olives - for shots;
• gingerbread - for a Christmas drink;
• fruits (including white grapes) - for summer or classic;
• almonds, raisins, cinnamon (decoration), orange slices - to Glogi;
• hard cheeses and red fish - to any 40 (45.50) degree;
• you might as well not eat at all.

Vana Tallinn is also used as a cosmetic and preventive drug. It makes excellent tonics and lotions for the face and hair (just mix half and half with distilled water).

To prevent an incipient cold or hypothermia, it is enough to add 2 teaspoons of liquor to hot (60-70 ° C) tea.

Recipe Vana Tallinn

According to the USSR GOST, the Vana Tallinn recipe was of an industrial scale - for 10 thousand liters. We will reduce and transform it, creating approximately 1 liter of concentrate, which will then become the basis for 10 liters of Estonian liqueur.

Prepare:

• alcohol / fruit distillate (70%) - 630-640 ml;
• orange oil - 0.5 ml (or tangerine / lemon);
• orange oil - 0.5 ml;
• lemon oil - 0.5 ml;
• cinnamon sticks - 3 gr. (or in powder - 1 tsp without a slide);
• vanilla in pods - 2-3 pcs. (6 gr.);
• rum essence - 30 gr.;
• citric acid - 1 gr. (or juice of 1/2 lemon)
• color - about 300 gr.

We make changes right away:

We replace orange oil with tangerine or lemon oil, which, like orange oil, we get from fresh fruits, or rather their peel. Omitting the calculations (which good people have already done for us), we remove the zest from 3-4 tangerines or 2 small lemons with a fine grater. This is to replace orange oil. Next - zest from 2 more lemons - to get lemon (it costs us a separate item) and zest from 1 orange.

If you can get vanilla pods, great. Cut them lengthwise or into pieces. If this ingredient is not available to you, we take crystalline vanillin. It will need 0.12 grams. Those. We divide a bag of 1.5 grams (by eye) into 10 parts and use one of them. If you make a little mistake, it doesn't matter.

The problem arises with rum essence. It is usually taken in bakery and confectionery shops.

The essence can be omitted if dark rum is added to the list of components (it will be used in the last step of the recipe).

Production steps:

1. Maceration. Pour citrus zest, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon (juice) and essence (if any) with alcohol, close and leave for 10 days. The place for this should be warm and dark. After that, the infusion is filtered.
2. Preparing color. In the original recipe, it is taken 2 times less, but the flavor and aroma similarity with the original Vana Tallinn is achieved with the amount indicated by us.

To prepare a color scheme, 115-200 grams of sugar (depending on the desired color) is slightly moistened with water (50-60 ml) and turned into dark caramel (on low heat, stirring continuously), which we immediately (after cooling slightly) we dilute in 120-130 ml of freshly boiled water.

1. Mixing. After the color has cooled, we mix it with alcohol tincture and let it stand for a week. We separate from the sediment and use as needed.
2. Preparation of Vana Tallinn liqueur. From 100 milliliters of concentrate, we will create a liter of a very tasty drink "a la Estonia". To do this, cook the syrup: 350 gr. granulated sugar pour 170 ml of water, and after boiling, boil for 10-15 minutes. Cool down.

• If you had rum essence when insisting: mix sugar syrup with 580 ml of 70% alcohol. We introduce here 100 ml of the finished concentrate and add water until 1 liter of liquor is obtained.
• If the rum essence is not included in your concentrate: we combine the syrup and alcohol as in the previous version and separate 300 ml from the resulting liquid. We mix them with 100 ml of concentrate and 600 ml of dark rum.

1. Rest. We leave the resulting drink for a week in a cool place, and after that we boldly treat our friends.

To get Vana Tallinn Cream, you need to add 200 ml of low-fat cream and 25-30 gr. instant coffee. Insist 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. Drink during the week.

Cocktails with Vana Tallinn

There are a lot of mixes with this wonderful liquor. We will give just a few - for example. If you would like to receive additional recipes that include Vana Tallinn liqueur (including desserts) - write to us!

Vana Tallinn Mojito

You will need:

• Vana Tallinn liqueur - 40 ml;
• mint - 8 leaves;
• sugar (syrup) - 1 tsp;
• lime - ½ pc.
• soda / Sprite - 100 ml.

• place lime, mint and sugar in a highball, mash with a pestle;
• fill with ice and pour in liquor and soda;
• stir.

sweet coolness

Prepare:

• Vana Tallinn liqueur - 20 ml;
• pineapple / apple juice - 80 ml;
• vanilla / cream ice cream - 1 pack (70-100 gr.)

Mix everything with a blender and pour into a glass.

Royal Vana Tallinn

Let's buy:

• Vana Tallinn - 20 ml;
• champagne / sparkling wine - 100 ml.

Combine drinks in a sparkling wine glass. Decorate with mint.

Smoothie Cocktail "Lava Flow"

• Vana Tallinn liqueur (cream) - 25 ml;
• Malibu liqueur - 25 ml;
• light rum - 50 ml;
• strawberries - 0.5 cups of berries or 1/4 cup of puree;
• banana - 1 pc.;
• coconut milk - 50 ml;
• pineapple juice - 50 ml;
• ice - 1 glass.

• whisk liqueurs, rum and strawberries in a blender, transfer to a glass;
• separately beat bananas, coconut milk, juice and ice in a blender;
• carefully pour the strawberry part, trying to reproduce the lava flows.

Banana smoothie with Vana Tallinn

Ingredients:

• Vana Tallinn Yoghurt Cream liqueur - 5 ml;
• apple juice - 10 ml;
• banana - ½ pc.;
• fresh ginger - a small piece;
• ice cubes - 100 gr.

Beat everything with a blender, pour into a tall glass.

The popular dark brown strong liquor "Old Tallinn" (Vana Tallinn), produced in Estonia, contains Jamaican rum, citrus oils, herbal and berry infusions, vanilla, and cinnamon.

He owes his appearance to a group of Estonians, among whom are Bernard Jurmo and Jaan Siim. It happened way back in 1962. The excellent taste of the liqueur is emphasized by its natural ingredients and rum. Thanks to this, the liqueur has a characteristic velvety taste. With a dash of exotic. This amazing liquor has gained great popularity in the Baltic countries and the European part of the Russian Federation.

The recipe for the preparation of this drink is kept in the strictest, which is known only to masters. An interesting fact is that many people use "Old Tallinn" as a cough medicine. The dark liquor "Old Tallinn" has become a kind of symbol of longevity for the inhabitants of the Baltic Sea coast, being created in the lands of beautiful forests and clearest waters. Like the medieval castles of these places, Vana Tallinn keeps many secrets.

Today, three types of Old Tallinn liqueur are produced: strong (50% vol.), classic (45% vol.) and original (40% vol.). All types of drink are prepared according to the same recipe and the same ingredients are used for their production. They are very similar in their taste, and only experts and true connoisseurs of Old Tallinn can tell the difference in alcohol content. The start of production of three types of liquor is connected with the desire of the manufacturing company Liviko to enter the markets of European countries. In some European countries, drinks with a lower alcohol content are preferred, and in some they like stronger ones.

In addition, Vana Tallinn Cream liqueur is produced, which has a strength of 16%. It is made according to the recipe of a classic liqueur with the addition of fresh cream and sugar. Thanks to new ingredients, the drink received new subtle notes of coffee with milk. Vana Tallinn Cream is widely used for preparing mixed drinks. It can also be used as a flavoring component that can replace syrup and become an excellent base for making cocktails and tonic drinks. Cream liqueur can also be used as a digestif. Since 2006, two original novelties have been added to the already produced types of cream liqueur Cream and Coffee Cream: Chocolate Cream and Orange Cream.

heritage edition

This series of liquor was created to celebrate the craftsmanship of the professionals involved in the production of liquor, as well as its long history.

From English, the word "heritage" can be translated as "heritage". This was not a random choice for the name of the drink. The thing is that in 2009, Liviko's technologists, taking medieval recipes of monks as a basis, managed to create a recipe that became the basis of this drink. The result exceeded all wildest expectations. In 2011, Heritage Edition was awarded the title of "Best Product of Estonia 2011".

To create Heritage Edition, unique components were used, the main of which was dark Caribbean rum. For the production of the Heritage Edition, only special rum is used, which is specially aged in special containers for six years. Thanks to this, the drink acquires a noble tone and spicy notes in the aroma and, of course, a unique and incomparable taste.

How to drink liquor

The Old Tallinn liqueur can be consumed neat with the addition of ice cubes or with ice cream and other desserts. It can be an excellent ingredient for creating exclusive cocktails.

Old Tallinn Ice Coffee

Add 40 ml of liquor to a tall glass and mix it with whipped milk and espresso. When adding condensed milk, the drink will acquire a sweeter taste and become a little softer.

Old Tallinn Pineapple

In a blender, you need to beat twenty milliliters of Old Tallinn, forty milliliters of pineapple juice and one hundred grams of vanilla ice cream. The drink is served in a tall glass.

Royal Tallinn

If you add twenty milliliters of Old Tallinn liqueur to a glass of chilled champagne, you will get a great aperitif.

Vana Tallinn Lemon

Five or six slices of lemon must be crushed in a glass, and pour 40 ml of liquor and a couple of pieces of ice into them.

Related content:

Vitaly Anointed

Vana Tallinn is one of the most famous liqueurs in the western part of the former Soviet Union, an alcoholic symbol of Estonia, a kind of answer to Latvia with its Riga Balsam. Despite the semi-legendary flair and slightly pathetic attitude towards this drink - the legacy of the scarce Soviet past is affecting - Vana Tallinn can be made at home, with simple and affordable ingredients, since its recipe has already been unraveled and tested by enthusiasts.

“Vana Tallinn” is a very successful brainchild of the Soviet alcohol industry, a drink that was both an excellent souvenir from “our abroad”, a solid anniversary gift, and a means of “solving problems” in the offices of bureaucrats. Today we will talk in detail about the Old Tallinn liqueur - its not very long, but surrounded by a halo of artificially created myths history, find out how and with what it is drunk, and, of course, learn how to make Vana Tallinn liqueur at home.

The “mystery” of the origin of the Vana Tallinn liqueur recipe

God, how much rubbish is written in these your Internets regarding the history of liquor! Here you have the ancient alchemists who invented the potion of eternal youth, and the lake Ülemiste, which once overflowed and flooded the ancient caves in which the ingredients for this very potion were stored (what, I wonder? Sugar color and rum extract?), And the stolen princesses, and almost not dragons...

But one “legend” shocked me so much that I will even quote it in full:

“In the 17th century, Tallinn was going through hard times – invaders from… Jamaica attacked Estonia! The city was besieged, and its defenders, defending themselves, threw whatever they had to at the damned usurpers - even fruits came into play: lemons, oranges, tangerines.

As a result, a fire broke out, the barrels of rum seized by the invaders caught fire, mixed with citrus fruits, and when the Jamaicans retreated and the fire subsided, the locals discovered that the rum had turned into a marvelous fragrant drink.

I can’t even write - I sit and laugh. What?! Estonians of the 17th century throwing oranges from the walls? Invaders from Jamaica? So I imagine these drowsy warriors under the tricolor with the image of Jah going on the attack - each cigarette is in their teeth, a bottle of rum is in their hands, and the buglers are playing “No Woman, No Cry” in a booming voice ...

In fact, everything is very prosaic. The recipe for the liqueur, later called "Old Tallinn" was patented in 1962, it was created by Jaan Siimo and Bernard Jurmo, technologists of the Estonian company Liviko, which is still the only producer of the drink. Well, except for you and me. Initially, there was only one version of the liquor - 45-degree, the most popular both in Estonia itself and throughout the Union. Other versions appeared later:

• 40-degree Authentic, revered in Western Europe;
• 50-degree for hot Scandinavian guys (it's called, "Sturdy");
• Vana Tallinn Winter Spice with cardamom, nutmeg, anise and ginger;
• very popular in a variety of cocktails Vana Tallinn Cream with a strength of only 16%;
• and other representatives of the "ladies'" subfamily of 16 ° - Orange Cream, Chocolate Cream and Coffee Cream with the corresponding tastes.

Vana Tallinn liqueur at home

On any website, you will read that "the exact recipe for Vana Tallinn liqueur is kept in the strictest confidence." That’s how it is, but not quite - in the USSR, for it, as well as for other alcoholic beverages, there were GOSTs, in which the recipe was described, which is called “from and to”.

Only here is the trouble - in the Union they did not hesitate to shove rum extract into the drink from the heart, but this is still chemistry. It is known that modern liquor is made with rum - you can read on the labels in Google. Please note - not “on rum”, but precisely “with rum”, in the composition it is listed only in the third position, after alcohol and sugar. If you, like me, are confused by the use of essences, use as much rum as your wallet allows, optimally - a third. Anyone will do, even cheap ones, better - dark, the main thing is that he has a characteristic rum "smell".

And one more thing - citrus fruits. According to the classics, orange peel oil should be included in the composition. In the article about kyummel, we have already figured out how to replace orange, the classic version is tangerine, better - tangerine in half with a pomelo.

This recipe, read on the homedistiller forum, is designed for 10 liters of the finished product, for which 1 liter of concentrate is first made, which is then diluted with vodka and sugar. The portion of the ingredients is small, so it is much more convenient.

concentrate recipe

With cooking, everything is quite simple. We carefully cut the zest from citrus fruits - so as not to capture the white bitter peel, we only need a colored shell, which contains aromatic oils. Add to this finely chopped cinnamon and vanilla. Squeeze juice from half a lemon.

We burn the syrup almost to black, add to the zest and pour alcohol with essence. Now the whole thing needs to be shaken well and put in a warm place for 7-10 days, after which it is well filtered, preferably twice. Everything, the concentrate for vana tallinn is ready.

Preparation of liquor

To prepare the liquor itself, you need to take 100 ml of our concentrate and add 900 grams of 50-degree alcohol to it (or sort with rum in a ratio of 2: 1), as well as a syrup made from 350 g of sugar and 100-150 ml of water. Mix everything well and try. Lack of flavor and aroma? Add concentrate little by little. Little color? Make more caramel.

After the taste suits you, the liquor needs to be defended for at least another week, as it may precipitate. After that, decant through a straw and filter if necessary. All!

Simplified cooking method

To prepare at home, the recipe for Old Tallinn liqueur can be simplified a little more - take 2 liters of vodka and 1 liter of rum (in this case, it is better to find strong rum, 56-60 degrees), mix, add zest and other ingredients (of course, their number should be reduced by a factor of three) and insist for 10-14 days, after which - filter, add sugar syrup, let rest for another week and consume!

Cocktails with Vana Tallinn

It is customary to use this liquor in its pure form, as well as add it to coffee, black and herbal tea, punches and other hot drinks. What to drink cold Vana Tallinn with? It goes well with apple, lemon, pineapple juice, vanilla syrup, vermouth, champagne (20 ml of liquor per glass of dry sparkling wine will give you the Royal Tallinn cocktail, and the usual semi-sweet, mixed with liquor in equal proportions - the Hammer and Sickle cocktail ). Snacking liquor is best with chocolate, creamy desserts and fresh citrus fruits.

There are some more interesting cocktails that include "Old Tallinn"

Vana Tallinn Coffee

Hot black coffee with liqueur and cream. We will need:

• Americano - 150 ml;
• Liquor "Vana Tallinn" - 40 ml;
• Whipped cream - 2 tablespoons;
• Grated chocolate - for decoration.

Preheat glass for hot cocktails. Pour in hot coffee, add liqueur and stir. Place whipped cream on top, decorate with grated chocolate.

cold lips

Long drink with an intriguing name. Compound:

• Vana Tallinn - 20 ml;
• Light rum - 20 ml;
• Cranberry juice - 80 ml;
• 2 strawberries

Shake rum, liqueur and cranberry juice with ice in a shaker, pour everything into a highball glass. A classic decoration is a strawberry on the rim, you can also decorate with a sugar crunch and / or a twist of lime zest.

Old Thomas

Strong and tasty cocktail. Served in a glass sour. Compound:

• Brandy - 60 ml;
• "Old Tallinn" - 20 ml;
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp;
• Orange juice - 1 tsp

Shake all ingredients in a shaker, strain into a glass. Serve without ice.

Three sisters

Variation on the theme of the Two Sisters cocktail with absinthe and vermouth. Compound:

• Vana Tallinn - 25 ml;
• Campari - 25 ml;
• Vermouth Rosso - 25 ml;

Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lemon wedge.

Simple and beautiful cocktail with Vana Tallinn. Compound:

• Vana Tallinn - 45 ml;
• Ginger ale;
• Lemon slice juice;
• Angostura - 1 dash;

Pour liqueur into a cocktail glass, top up with ginger ale to 2/3, drizzle with lemon juice, add angostura dash. Garnish with an orange twist.

All of the above cocktails can be made with homemade Vana Tallinn liqueur prepared according to our recipe!