The Forumist, which is collaborating with Schweppes to celebrate the150th anniversary of their Iconic Tonic, has created three original cocktails based on the personalities of musicians Kleerup, Mapei and Linn Koch-Emmery, using a specific iconic tonic for each drink. Before trying these personalised beverages, it would help, of course, to get to know each of these creative individuals a little better by imbibing some words about them. The experiences of reading and tasting will help to give a clear sense of who the musicians truly are, in reverence to the artistic soul these three creators represent.

Mapei
Mapei, the Swedish-American singer known for her soulful sound, is interpreted in drink format as a refreshing yet sweet gin with iconic hibiscus tonic flavoured with raspberry, mint and pomegranate. The array of tastes in this otherwise classical concoction is quite fitting, since Mapei herself is a unique performer who can be simultaneously simplistic and diverse in her expression. Her music might take more than one sip to be grasped by the taste buds, but it might as easily slip down like a G&T Royale on a hot summer day. Maybe the various possibilities of reception to Mapei’s music comes from the way it’s created. “It’s all based on truths, things that have happened to me or others,” she says, when asked about how her experiences leak into her work. Her songs act as a means to process life, perhaps even to ease a burden. “You don’t know where to keep all your life events. They have to evaporate. You shouldn’t carry them around on your shoulders,” she says.

Describing herself as a “concrete rose”, Mapei certainly carries those experiences of hers with pride, blossoming in any environment and always remembering what made her bloom. “I am really hard working. Sometimes, I close my eyes to my frailty, to my sensitivity, even to my beauty because of my trying to grasp every opportunity to deliver. I stayed with my neighbour a lot when growing up. She was called Nana and was born in 1925 to African-American parents who had been enslaved. My mother worked two or three jobs her entire life. We are roses, diamonds, beautiful women who grow out of capitalism and society’s injustices, thanks to the dreams that water us.”

To fully revere the woman who shaped her, Mapei dedicates all of her music – if not all of her life – to her mother.
“I am an extension of her. Without her I simply wouldn’t be here. Now, when she is no longer in this world, her words echo louder and closer to the heart. She always gave me advice, and now I want to be a product of my mother’s good advice. I want to walk the path she wanted to see me take. My path. I want to feel good from what I do, in my body, soul and heart. Blood, sweat and tears have to lead to laughter, right?”

Watered by dreams, blood, sweat and tears, Mapei is nothing less than a flower that keeps on growing.

Mapei’s G&T Royale with Schweppes Tonic Hibiscus
The passionate energy of this poised and dedicated artist and the uniquely complex voice that she brings to her music are reflected by this cocktail’s rich combination of flavours of pomegranate, a hint of fresh mint, Schweppes Tonic Hibiscus, gin and a rich boost of bubbles.

Recipe:
5cl gin of choice
1cl raspberry liqueur
1tsp pomegranate syrup
Pomegranate arils
Mint sprig
Optional lemon twist
Schweppes Tonic Hibiscus
Champagne or Cava for the Royale version

Linn Koch-Emmery
Linn Koch-Emmery, an up-and-coming musician whose work has emerged from the Swedish underground music scene during recent years, is channelled through a salty tequila and iconic Twist of Lime tonic drink draped in various citrus juices and sweetened by agave syrup. In a way, the drink reflects the salted edges of her custom rock-filtered indie pop, exemplified perfectly in her newly released single ‘Hologram Love’, taken from her upcoming debut album, hopefully, due for release next year. The tune depicts the beautiful thought that something lost but meant to be, might return one day. This comforting idea is wrapped in a sound that effectively represents what guitar-driven pop music is in 2020, and probably what it will be for years to come. Equally representative of the zeitgeist is the background to Linn Koch-Emmery’s music. “My songs are mostly about personal nonsense and in some sense my personal shortcomings” Linn says. “My music is self-centred and personal. Where else does one get space to twist every parameter of one’s personality without seeming narcissistic? To me, songwriting is an alternative to keeping a journal or getting therapy. It’s an innocent form of self-medication.”

Emerging onto the scene four years ago with the hard-hitting single ‘Come Back’, Linn Koch-Emmery’s musical journey has taken her above the surface of the immediate underground, for example landing her support gigs for greats like Liam Gallagher, The Hives and Pussy Riot,
as well as European tours. Looking back, it seems like a tremendous change, but what has happened artistically between ‘Come Back’ and ‘Hologram Love’?

“I still write the music in the same way, at home with my guitar and my computer,” Linn says, “but I think it has become more dynamic and playful with time. I’m not the same person I was back then, I don’t listen to the same music, I don’t read the same books or watch the same things. I don’t care much for sticking to a strict sound – I still love the Pixies and all that, but I couldn’t care less if a middle-aged man in Gothenburg gets disappointed because there’s not enough guitar feedback on the new album.”

Obviously, Linn Koch-Emmery is the absolute symbol of the modern musician, an artistically self-aware individual who does what she does solely for her own purpose. It’s refreshing, it’s unfiltered, it’s 2020. Nothing encapsulates today’s individualistic landscape better than Linn’s words about the significance of her craft: “Music gives me a form of meaning in life, but for someone else that meaning might be fast cars or raising wiener dogs. I don’t believe you need to celebrate life, we haven’t chosen it. Sometimes life is the worst and sometimes it’s great. According to me, the strength of music is that it flaunts nuances of both.”

Linn Koch-Emmery’s Salty Tequila with Schweppes Tonic Twist of Lime.
This cocktail is a short, sharp, laid-back package, just like Linn’s music, complete with an edgy delivery; it’s rimmed with a personality that’s salty with a zesty hit of charisma and spice, boosted with Schweppes Tonic Twist of Lime, tequila and Yuzu Sake to capture the sheer drama of her creativity.

Recipe:
4cl tequila of choice
1cl Yuzu Sake
1cl fresh mandarin juice
1cl agave syrup
Pinch of salt
Schweppes Tonic Twist of Lime

Andreas Kleerup
Andreas Kleerup, known simply by his surname, is music. There is no better way of describing him. His essence, his core, his talk, his walk, his way – is music. Attempting to fully understand a human being so completely constituted by music is perhaps best done by listening
to his work, but The Forumist’s newly crafted Schweppes cocktail entitled Warm Embrace – put together with rum, iconic Pink Pepper tonic, chilli, Thai hot basil and more – makes a close interpretation of his personality. Kleerup is altogether a warm person, although somewhat complicated, inviting yet distant in an enigmatic way.

In fact, merely listening to Kleerup’s music might not explain his complexity for an untrained ear, since his musical DNA is composed of fragments of widely different influences. Having started as a drummer at a very young age, he has been bitten by the jazz bug, gathered the contagious melodies of his adolescent hard rock favourites, picked up the best aspects of his former collaborators Robyn and Teddybears, and combined it with his love for monotonous kraut rock – all of it laced together and gift-wrapped in perfectly smooth electronic pop albums such as his self-titled 2009 debut and the recently released follow-up 2. These two records made Kleerup famous as a producer, and he says he feels at times that he is wrongly labelled as “only” that. Seeing the bigger picture, grasping the entirety of the musical machinery driving Kleerup, the organic movements fuelling him by also being part of the more rock-oriented band
Me and My Army become apparent. Along with his current project, intriguingly character-breaking 90s-esque recordings bound for release during 2021, the less famous corners of Kleerup’s catalogue probably explains him better than anything.

“Music to me is being as honest as you can possibly be,” Kleerup says, after revealing his liking for literature but that he would never want to be a writer. “If you have the ability to describe human emotions, you should, and with a bit of luck other people might find themselves in your descriptions.”

In a certain way, this quote sums up the person that is Andreas Kleerup as well as the music that he makes. Complete honesty, portrayed through a cultural medium that inhabits every atom of his being, that is the warmth mentioned earlier. Many may try, but there might not be a better way of explaining Kleerup to the world.

Andreas Kleerup’s Warm Embrace with Schweppes Tonic Pink Pepper.
To match Andreas’s global multi-dimensional personality, which is as diverse as his musical engagements, we include a refreshing balance of sweet, tangy and bitter elements, invigorated
by Schweppes Tonic Pink Pepper, rum and red aperitif – all like the upbeat tones of his music.

Recipe:
3cl rum of choice
10 min chilli infusion optional
1.5cl passion fruit liqueur
1.5cl red aperitif
½ fresh squeezed lime
1 fresh passion fruit
Slice red chilli (heat optional)
Thai hot basil
Schweppes Tonic Pink Pepper

Team credits:
Photography by Ivan Nunez (black & white photos) and Schweppes (colour photos)
Styling by Hanna Kisch
Hair & make-up by Elvira Brandt
Words by Filip Lindström
Special thanks to Schweppes

Fashion credits:
Mapei wears:
Blouse by Sirloin, Pleather pants by BeWider, Heels by Acne Studios, Earrings, Necklace and Bigger ring by Avidue, Thinner rings by Felicia Svartling

Linn Koch-Emmery wears:
Leather Pants by Acne Studios, Knitted Sweater by Acne Studios, T-Shirt Linn’s own,
Bigger Earring by Avidue, Smaller Earring and Necklace Linn’s own, Rings by Felicia Svartling, Shoes Linn’s own

Andreas Kleerup wears:
Suit by Acne Studios, Elastic hair tie and Handkerchief Andreas’s own, Rings by Felicia Svartling, Boots Andreas’s own, Loafers by Myrqvist

It is in times of trouble that we need enchanting amusements more than ever. In times of isolation and boredom, every possibility to lift the spirit must be fulfilled. Forget the common pilsner on the sofa, watching a game – there are no games to be seen! This is the moment in history to explore the wonderful world of cocktails together with Schweppes. A cocktail carnival live-streamed from Hotel At Sixt for the launch of this issue.

The iconic songwriter Cole Porter knew how to enjoy himself, even though he lived through two world wars, the Spanish flu and a riding accident that almost killed him and left him disabled. He, if anyone, knew how to stir up a cocktail, whether it was in Venice where he lived for years, or back in New York where he stayed at the Waldorf Towers hotel for nearly 30 years. He truly experienced some good times in his life, but also some tough times, so his motto in life was always to enhance any possibility for enjoyment. The line in one of his contemporary Irving Berlin’s major hits is more vibrant than ever in times like these: “There may be trouble ahead / but while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance / Let’s face the music and dance”.

It is not coincidental that the history of the cocktail often coincides with times of trouble. During the great depression, cocktail culture boomed around the world. Films from the thirties did their best to glamorise the ‘cocktail era’, an epithet they preferred to focus on. On the silver screen, the cocktail evolved from a universal symbol of dissoluteness into one of class and civility. Every new film had to be presented with a signature drink if possible. This was the time when the cocktail became mainstream and found its place in the heart of American and European culture. And why not – we all need to relax when the bank account is diminishing and hordes of unemployed people are standing in line. If we can not visit our usual bar and are sitting in our apartments around the clock instead, then let’s make the home into our favorite bar!

This is the time for versatility. Make your flat into an efficient office during the day and a cocktail saloon at night. Discipline has never been more important than now and rather than indulge in having a beer or a glass of wine whenever you’re feeling bored, you should challenge yourself to reach a higher plateau of satisfaction. Now is the time to dress up for dinner, not walk about in your pyjamas all day. Tux or evening dress is not at all over the top – in fact, it is recommended. I once came across an old gentleman who lived in splendid solitude next to a dried-out quarry in northern Nigeria, who every evening put on his tuxedo for dinner. Otherwise, he explained, ”I would lose it all.”.

If you are lucky enough to share your life with someone or if you’re living alone, it doesn’t really matter: do you best to make every meal into a true delight. And before your after-dinner Netflix premiere, do not forget to serve the cocktail of the evening. It is the effort that counts. To take time. Put love into every detail. Make it into a holy ceremony. One new every day. One for each mood. One for every new challenge tomorrow.

We have had the great minds at Schweppes put together the ultimate cocktails for these times. Specially adapted to match perfectly with your chosen evening activity, be that sharing time with friends online, listening to your favourite music or just relaxing with a magazine. To make this celebration into a true cocktail feast we have decided to live stream a cocktail-making class from Hotel At Sixt in Stockholm. 
It is in times like these we need the cocktail more than ever. With or without alcohol!

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Tonic: Pink Pepper

SIGNATURE ROKU GIN & TONIC
Ingredients: 40ml Roku gin, two ginger slices, top with Schweppes Premium Mixer Tonic &Pink Pepper, ice cubes.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Tonic: Pink Pepper

1783 LILLET VIVE SPRITZ
40ml Lillet Blanc, 30ml Campo Viejo Cava, cucumber strips, mint sprigs & strawberry slices, Schweppes Premium Mixer Tonic & Pink Pepper, ice cubes.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Ginger Beer & Chili

SPICY DARK’N’STORMY 
Ingredients: 40ml Plantation Grande Reserve rum, ginger & chili slices, top with Schweppes Premium Mixer Ginger Beer & Chili, ice cubes.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Tonic: Pink Pepper

FULL-BODIED MOSCOW MULE
40ml Absolut Vodka, one lime wedge, Schweppes Premium Mixer Ginger Beer & Chili, ice cubes.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Hibiscus

HIBISCUS STRAWBERRY & BASIL CUP
Ingredients: 40ml Diplomatico Planas (aged white rum), strawberry slices & basil leaves, top with Schweppes Premium Mixer Hibiscus, ice cubes.

 FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Tonic & Twist Of Lime

JACOB’S GIN & TONIC
40ml Roku gin, grapefruit zest & rosemary sprigs, top with Schweppes Premium Tonic & Twist Of Lime, ice cubes.

Credits:
Words by Tor Bergman 
Photography by The Forumist Production
Special thanks to Schweppes

Picture credits:
3# Picture of Cole Porter (source online)
4# Picture of the Crysler building (source online)
7# Picture of a classic themed bar (source online)
8# Picture from a party after the lift of the prohibition, USA 1920s (source online)
All other pictures from the live-stream at Hotel At Sixt for the launch of this issue

There was a time when a cute-looking bartender with juggling skills was the hottest thing in the drinks industry. Today, it is a thorough understanding of the laws of chemistry that catches the eye of smart bar owners looking for mixologists. Just as the world of cuisine some years ago started to put test tubes and other laboratory equipment among their pots and pans, new mixology techniques are becoming more and more popular in cocktail bars around the world. Infusion is the new buzz word and rapid infusion methods have initialized a new palette of flavours in cocktails.
Douglas Anasagasti, regional brand ambassador of Schweppes and an ultra-skilled mixologist himself, explains: “We have created the Schweppes Signature Program with masterclasses for bartenders around Europe in order to develop the art of mixology and spread knowledge of new techniques. This year it felt natural to focus on infusions and we selected mixologists from five countries around Europe to take part in our celebrated masterclasses on the subject. The chosen ones are being judged on different elements such as style, authenticity and how they capture their vision in the resulting drink. Ambitions are very high, or, as our chef put it, they are transforming cocktails into a dish and a dish into a cocktail.”

Schweppes has been at the front line of drinks and chemistry since 1783 when the founder Johann Jacob Schweppes was the first to develop a process to manufacture carbonated mineral water. Even today the company takes great pride in its ability to produce such long-lived carbonation. Anasagasti is himself very interested in the chemical aspects of mixology and on broadening our views on what a drink could be.
“Infusions can develop the cocktail and create a true taste explosion,” Anasagasti says. “The influence for this comes from molecular gastronomy in which ingredients are studied for their properties and incorporated into dishes to enhance the flavours and control the process of cooking. This is what we’re seeing in the cocktail scene at the moment.” And he is certain you’ll soon be sipping more of these multifaceted cocktails in a bar near you.

But what is this infusion thing exactly? The dictionary defines it as: “Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavours from plant material by suspending over time it in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol.” It is simply a matter of steeping or soaking an ingredient in another substance, often a liquid. A good example of an infusion is Earl Grey tea, where black tea is infused with bergamot, a kind of citrus fruit, to create a new flavour. Other examples are the kinds of chocolate that are flavoured with orange or mint, but without fragments of the fruits or leaves present – these are the kinds of flavours we even think of as being natural rather than enhanced.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages there is a multitude of examples. In Scandinavia, there is akvavit, a traditional style of distilled spirit flavoured with a variety of herbs – a classic case of infusion. Unfortunately, infusions like these need a certain amount of time to work, which can be minutes or even months, and time is always short when you’re working in a popular bar. This is where the equipment at hand becomes important, bringing kitchen techniques into cocktail making to create rapid infusions. High pressure is the key factor.
The most important piece of kit is what a bartender calls a cream-whipper – a bottle with a siphon of nitrous oxide. Just put the solid flavouring ingredient in the whipper, fill it with the liquid to be infused, charge it with N₂O, swirl, wait for a minute or so, vent the gas out of the whipper and strain the infused liquid. This is an affordable method and it is all you need to do to start playing around with flavour profiles at home. There are other techniques, such as the rather complex vacuum machine and even the sous-vide, but this infusion method is an avenue of pleasure for anyone keen to try out new ingenious techniques.

The world of cocktails is right now being flooded with new products and cocktails made from an infusion, such rhubarb gin, vanilla vodka,and  whiskey and cinnamon. A popular drink at the moment is coffee tonic, in which the gin is infused with coffee and mixed with tonic and cold coffee. And soft drinks or mixers are also using this technique. Schweppes Premium Mixers Pink Pepper tonic water is just one example of a successful infusion, perfect to lift your gin and tonic to a new and unexpected level.
“This is definitely the new direction for drinks in the future,” says Anasagasti while sipping a specially made fusion of ginger and mint – a fascinating taste, believe me. “We’re at the beginning of something very interesting. Bartenders are gaining more knowledge every day and it’s a great way of bringing different cultures and tastes into one. It’s mixology at its best.”

Anasagasti is currently touring Europe together with master chef Dennis Huwaë to work with one bartender from each of Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland and Italy to take their cocktail-making skills to a higher level in The Schweppes Signature Program workshops. The magnificent cocktails that will be presented at bar events in each of these countries will be a great opportunity to witness not only skilled bartenders working under pressure with pressured infusion, but also the initializing of a new era in cocktails.

Credits:
Words by Tor Bergman
Special thanks to Schweppes
Schweppes workshops

How does one generate that unforgettable taste experience? In recent years we’ve been bombarded by TV chefs who have been happy to share their “secrets” with us, and this has spread to the world of drinks. The market is exploding with new brands and flavours in both the alcohol department and the sphere of soft drinks. So what is it that makes a drink truly come alive? As with everything in life, it’s all about balance. A good drink has tension – between the elements, such as sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, temperature, texture and, of course, the alcohol.

Douglas Anasagasti is a mixologist and an expert in the terrain of taste. He even helps companies position themselves according to their core values through flavours – often in co-operation with renowned master chefs. But mainly he works with Schweppes, where he is involved in the creation of enchanting new flavours, created to make drinks really bloom.

“The word mixologist can sometimes put people off, but we work with flavours and how to adapt them. A bartender is someone who makes the recipe. Someone once said that mixologists care about the drink, while bartenders care about the customer,” he says with a smile.

A mixologist like Anasagasti is obsessed with finding the perfect equilibrium. Often people put too much alcohol in an otherwise-pleasant drink. The importance of balance is essential in creating the perfect taste experience, but one should also remember Dorothy Parker’s words: “I like to have a martini, but two at the very most. After three I’m under the table, after four I’m under my host.”

Temperature is also key – if a drink is allowed to get warm, it can affect the taste. “[For the perfect gin and tonic] it’s important to fill the glass to the top with big ice cubes, double-frozen if possible, so they don’t melt easily. You don’t want any more non-alcoholic liquid in your drink – you already have the tonic. Its high-quality carbonation is also important in bringing out the flavours. It makes drinks last longer.”

The garnish is something that is often given too little attention, but it’s where you’re able to enhance the flavours of the product you’re using. Look on the label to find out what the spirit is made of. If the gin, for instance, has been made with basil, use some basil. Just think of Hendrick’s gin, which is distilled with cucumber – this is where cucumber becomes the perfect garnish. A gin such as Gin Mare, made with thyme and rosemary, gives you two interesting options. Both of them make the drink very different, using the same original product. Also, look at the tonic you’re using and see if there are any flavours you could pick up, such as those found in the Schweppes Premium Mixers series. Or try using a complementary taste, but this is of course a more demanding challenge. Instead of using large slices or chunks of fruit, try using the peel. Often, there is more taste in the peel than in the fruit itself – the taste is what you are after, nothing else. “Take orange peel, for instance,” says Anasagasti. “You get the sweetness but also the light bitterness. And the scent… Remember, 90% of our taste is in our nose. If you close your nostrils, you will not taste anything. Just think of kids holding their noses when eating something they don’t like.” When using a leaf of mint or basil, be careful not to squeeze it too much. If you do, the oil will produce too much bitterness. Just “slap” it a bit, as Anasagasti says – this will give you a hint of that accent you’re after.

“For some years there has been a trend towards a more bitter taste in drinks around Europe,” he says. “Italian bitters and ginger beer, sourness and more herbal experiences – all due to the kind of food we’re eating these days. People are also more demanding – we tend to prefer one good glass of wine rather than three less-interesting ones. And when you have started to appreciate a good glass of wine, your taste actually changes. It’s about complexity from then on, and it’s hard to go back.” There is a drink for every occasion, some say, and you can, of course, make a drink any way you like it. After a few gin and tonics we’re not always so fuzzy. Still, there are some tricks that can turn a drink from being just a drink into a really great one – small but important things that make the flavours come alive.

Together with Schweppes Premium Mixers, Douglas Anasagasti (pictured above) has created four drinks. Cheers.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Tonic & Touch of Lime

HONEYED COFFEE TONIC (virgin)
Ingredients: 50ml cold-brew coffee, 15ml honey syrup,
2 dashes chocolate bitters, 150ml Schweppes Premium
Mixer Tonic & Touch of Lime, ice cubes.

LIMONCELLO TONICA
Ingredients: 50ml limoncello, lime, 150ml Schweppes
Premium Mixer Tonic & Touch of Lime, ice cubes.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Ginger Beer

RUBY RUBY (virgin)
Ingredients: 30ml grapefruit juice, 15ml rhubarb syrup,
150ml Schweppes Premium Mixer Ginger Beer, 8 mint
leaves, ice cubes.

DARK & STORMY
Ingredients: 50ml dark rum, 20ml lime juice, 2 dashes
Angostura bitters, 150ml Schweppes Premium Mixer
Ginger Beer, ice cubes.

FLAVOUR: Schweppes Premium Mixer Hibiscus

LOVE POTION (virgin)
Ingredients: 40ml cranberry juice, 20ml lime juice, 15ml
rose syrup, 150ml Schweppes Premium Mixer Hibiscus,
ice cubes.

VERMUTARIA
Ingredients: 50ml white vermouth, 150ml Schweppes
Premium Mixer Hibiscus, 1 slice of orange, 2 basil leaves,
2 slices of lime, ice cubes.

Team Credits:

Words by Alfredo L Jones
Films & photography by FORUMIST PRODUCTION
Illustrations and special thanks to SCHWEPPES