Ingredients
The two bottles
- 500 mlmalt drink
- a sweet non-alcoholic malt extract drink
- 500 mlorange soda
- an orange fizzy drink
To serve
- tall glasses
- well chilled
- no ice
- at the Christmas table
Directions
- Warm malt drink is cloying and heavy. Cold it is refreshing despite the sweetness.
- Pour the malt into a tall glass first. Fill it about halfway up the glass. Top it up with the orange soda.
- Pour it slowly down the glass side. A slow pour down the glass side prevents it.
- Pour it slowly and let it settle. Leaving it alone keeps more bubbles.
- Add more malt for a darker sweeter drink.
- Add more orange for a lighter sharper one. Serving it is always done very cold.
- Serve it immediately while it is fizzing. It does not keep at all once mixed. Mix each glass as it is poured.
Technique
- This is not a cocktail or a recipe but two shop-bought drinks poured together, and that simplicity is the whole thing: the tradition is in the mixing rather than the making. Families argue about the right ratio and everyone has a preference, which is part of it; the ready-mixed bottles now sold for Christmas settle the question but lose the ritual.
- Roughly half and half is standard, with the heavy dark malt balanced by the light sharp orange soda; more malt gives a darker sweeter drink and more orange a lighter one, and there is no correct answer.
- Chill both bottles thoroughly rather than adding ice, which would dilute the drink as it melted; and pour slowly down the side of the glass, since the malt drink foams a great deal and builds a thick head very quickly.
Substitutions
- The ready-mixed bottled version is sold in the run-up to Christmas.
- Any sweet non-alcoholic malt drink and orange soda make the same thing.
Variations
- The ratio is adjusted at the table to individual preference.
- Some people stir it once and others let it mix as it pours.
- Ma-osh-shaeer in Iran is another malt drink, made for quite different reasons.
History
Icelandic families mix the two bottled drinks at Christmas; producers now sell the blend ready-mixed for the holiday season.
Frequently asked questions
What is Malt og appelsín?
Malt og appelsín is a drink from Iceland: sweet malt extract drink mixed with orange soda at Christmas. Icelandic families mix the two bottled drinks at Christmas; producers now sell the blend ready-mixed for the holiday season.
How long does Malt og appelsín take to make?
Malt og appelsín takes 5 minutes of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Malt og appelsín?
Yes, within limits. The ready-mixed bottled version is sold in the run-up to Christmas. Any sweet non-alcoholic malt drink and orange soda make the same thing.
What is the most important thing to get right in Malt og appelsín?
This is not a cocktail or a recipe but two shop-bought drinks poured together, and that simplicity is the whole thing: the tradition is in the mixing rather than the making. Families argue about the right ratio and everyone has a preference, which is part of it; the ready-mixed bottles now sold for Christmas settle the question but lose the ritual.
