The ritual
Sweden’s forgotten coffee ritual, a copper coin and a measure of Purity. Fika, elevated.
Long before the espresso bar, Sweden had its own way of finishing a cup of coffee. In the south it was called the kaffegök, further north the kaffekask: freshly brewed coffee, a measure of clear spirit and, at the bottom of the cup, a single coin.
The rule was simple. Pour the coffee until the coin disappears. Add the spirit until the coin can be seen again. Farmers and workmen drank it on cold mornings, families shared it after Sunday dinner, and Swedish emigrants carried the custom with them all the way to America.
We have brought it back, with one change. The coin is now copper, a nod to the extended copper surface contact behind every bottle of Purity, and the measure is a considered one. The ceremony stays. The smile comes naturally.
Place a clean copper coin at the bottom of a small, heat-proof glass cup. Warm the glass first with hot water, so the coffee stays hot.
Pour freshly brewed filter coffee over the coin until it disappears from view, about 9 cl. Add a sugar cube if you like it the traditional way.
Add 3 cl of Purity Vodka 34 Signature Edition and stir once. In the old days the spirit was poured until the coin returned. Ours is a measured pour: the coin is the ceremony, not the measure.
Serve with a cardamom bun or a square of dark chocolate. Sip slowly, share the story of the coin, and let the conversation do the rest.
Use a lighter roast filter coffee rather than espresso. Its gentle acidity lets the soft grain character of Vodka 34 Signature Edition come through, and the drink stays round and warming instead of bitter. A small glass cup shows the coin at its best.
Please enjoy Purity responsibly. Coffee does not reduce the effects of alcohol.