Salmiakki Koskenkorva

Lore & Background

Before the 1990s, Finland had a very thin and stratified cocktail culture. Some Finnish bars started serving a cocktail made from ground ammonium chloride-based candy, which became trendy especially among young people. This led to the drink's prohibition from 1993 to 1995. Only anecdotal evidence exists regarding the origin and recipe; a well-known anecdote says singer Jari Sillanpää invented the drink while working as a bartender in the late 1980s.

Reader's Guide

Salmiakki Koskenkorva holds significance as one of the first pre-mixed cocktails sold in Finland, emerging from a period of limited cocktail culture. Its popularity among youth cemented its reputation as a 'teenagers' vodka', leading to a brief prohibition. The drink's taste, strongly resembling black liquorice and cough medicine, comes from the use of Apteekin Salmiakki, a brand also used in cough medicines, which has the additional effect of increasing salivation. The concept of mixing vodka and liquorice likely existed long before the 1990s, as both Koskenkorva Viina and Tyrkisk Peber were available earlier. The drink remains a notable part of Finnish drinking culture.

Did You Know?

• The drink is also called Salmiakkikossu or Salmari.
• It was prohibited in Finland from 1993 to 1995.
• A well-known anecdote credits singer Jari Sillanpää with inventing it while bartending in the late 1980s.
• One brand of salmiakki used, Apteekin Salmiakki, is also used in cough medicines.