Kummel Ye Faithful
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 31.4% ABV ∙
Kummel Ye Faithful stirs mezcal, peated single malt, kummel liqueur and Pedro Ximénez sherry with liquorice bitters, served up in a coupe. Smoky layers unfold into a raisiny sweetness, with a caraway-like warmth threading through a dense, silky finish that lingers long after the last sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Mezcal 25 mlPeated single malt whisky 15 mlKummel liqueur 10 mlPedro Ximénez sherry 10 mlLiquorice bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a star anise floated on the surface
Tips
- Stir over ice for a full 30 seconds — this spirit-heavy build needs real dilution to soften the peat and mezcal smoke.
- Fine-strain carefully so no ice shards dilute the concentrated pour further once it's in the glass.
- Float the star anise gently on the surface rather than dropping it, so its aroma reaches the nose on the first sip.
- Chill the coupe well beforehand; there's no ice in the glass to keep the drink cold once strained.
History
This cocktail was created in June 2022 by a bartender at the Clocktower in Rye, England. The name echoes an older drink of the same title, "The Kummel Ye Faithful," made from equal parts gin, kümmel, and cream, published in the 1929 book Here's How Again! by Judge Jr. — a coincidental namesake rather than a direct ancestor, since the two drinks share little beyond the name and the kümmel itself.
