Ingredients
The layers
- 20 mlVana Tallinn liqueur
- dark and sweet
- 20 mlpeppermint liqueur
- green and sweet
- 20 mlclear spirit
- vodka or similar
To build
- a straight tall shot glass
- a bar spoon
- all bottles well chilled
Directions
- Hold the spoon just above the liquid surface. Rest the tip against the inside of the glass. Pour very slowly onto the curved back. Pour as slowly as you possibly can.
- Take a full ten seconds per layer. Straight sides keep the layers even. Chill all the bottles beforehand. Cold liquids are slightly denser.
- Put the shot glass in the freezer. Give it about ten full minutes. Pour the Vana Tallinn into the glass. Fill it about a third of the way up. The first layer needs no spoon at all.
- Pour it steadily and let it settle. Wait a few seconds before the next layer. Let it come completely still first. Pouring the second layer takes care.
- Hold a bar spoon just above the surface. Rest its tip against the glass side. Pour the peppermint liqueur onto the spoon back. Pour it in extremely slowly indeed. It should stay sharp and defined.
- Let the second layer settle completely. Hold the spoon just above the surface.
- Pour the clear spirit onto the spoon back. Pour it just as slowly as before. Judging it takes a careful look. Serve it as soon as it is built. They stay separate for a few minutes only.
Technique
- Layering depends entirely on density: sugar makes a liquid heavier and alcohol makes it lighter, so the sweetest liqueur goes at the bottom and the sugarless clear spirit floats on top. Vana Tallinn is the sweetest and heaviest, peppermint liqueur sits between, and vodka floats most readily of all.
- Pour each layer over the back of a bar spoon held just above the surface with its tip against the glass, so the liquid spreads and runs gently down the wall rather than punching through. Take a full ten seconds per layer — speed is the only thing that breaks it.
- This is sixty millilitres of alcohol, two liqueurs and a full-strength spirit, and the sweetness disguises that considerably.
Substitutions
- A straight tall shot glass keeps the layers even; a tapered one makes them uneven.
- Chill everything, including the glass, since cold liquid is denser and layers more reliably.
Variations
- Millimallikas is Estonian for jellyfish, which the layered look suggests.
- Vana Tallinn is a dark spiced rum-based Estonian liqueur made since the nineteen sixties.
- The layers diffuse within a few minutes, so build it when it is wanted.
History
An Estonian bar shot whose name means jellyfish, built in layers so the colours stay separate.
Frequently asked questions
What is Millimallikas?
Millimallikas is a cocktail from Estonia: layered shot of Vana Tallinn, peppermint liqueur and clear spirit. An Estonian bar shot whose name means jellyfish, built in layers so the colours stay separate.
How long does Millimallikas take to make?
Millimallikas takes 5 minutes of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes serves 1. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Millimallikas?
Yes, within limits. A straight tall shot glass keeps the layers even; a tapered one makes them uneven. Chill everything, including the glass, since cold liquid is denser and layers more reliably.
What is the most important thing to get right in Millimallikas?
Pour each layer over the back of a bar spoon held just above the surface with its tip against the glass, so the liquid spreads and runs gently down the wall rather than punching through. Take a full ten seconds per layer — speed is the only thing that breaks it.
