Jack Maxwell, host of Travel Channel’s Booze Traveler, shares a sampling of cocktails made with some surprising and intriguing ingredients. The hidden treasures include seaweed, pinecones and even "big-bottomed ants." Here are 7 of the world's wackiest cocktails and most unusual drinks from around the world.
1. Deer antler vodka from Siberia
Originating from the Altai region of Siberia, this drink has been around since the 15th century and is thought to keep men strong in the romantic department. The antlers of Maral deer shed naturally and are steeped in a distilled spirit to make the drink.
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2. Anti-aging beer from Germany
Black malt, bioflavonoids and spirulina, a blue-green algae thought to be among the healthiest foods on earth, are believed to give this German beer anti-aging properties.
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3. Seaweed smoothie from Belize
In Belize, cool and refreshing cocktails are in high demand. Seaweed, which is abundantly available in the country, is mixed with brandy and condensed milk for a smoothie that's quite sweet but extremely refreshing.
Really want to make it? Here's what you'll need:
- 4 or 5 ounces brandy
- 1/8 ounce seaweed gel (2 heaping spoonfuls; you can buy Irish moss or dried Caribbean seaweed dried and boil it, butmake sure you remove any creatures, then puree it in a blender),
- 4 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk
- 4 ounces whole milk
- 3-4 tablespoons vanilla powdered milk
- Ice
- Cinnamon, to sprinkle on top
4. Pinecone schnapps from Finland
It's illegal to pick pinecones off of a tree in Austria unless it's on your property, yet they provide the key ingredient in Zirbenschnaps, a drink made with distilled spirits, sugar and pine tar.
5. Mojito with hormigas culonas from Colombia
Hormigas culonas translates to "big-bottomed ants," which add a little crunch and a bit of saltiness to a cool, fruity Mojito from Colombia. These ants, from the Santana region, only come out of their nests one or two days a year.
Really want to make it? Here's what you'll need:
- 1½ ounces white rum
- 6 mint leaves
- Soda water
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Ice
- ANTS! OF COURSE!
6. Mezcal with worm salt from Guatemala
Guatemalans sip their mezcal with a a pinch of worm salt, which is just what it sounds like: salty, roasted ground-up worms.
7. Chatham Artillery Punch from the United States
This drink from Savannah, Georgia, which was famously served to George Washington and his troops, is one of the more potent cocktails known to America — gin, bourbon, rye, spiced rum and vodka are just some of the alcohols involved. And as if that wasn't enough, it's topped with a float of Champagne. For a tested recipe, check out TODAY contributor Casey Barber's version of Chatham Artillery Punch.
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