Traveler Tip: Don't Receive A Handshake In Reykjavik

If a Reykjaviker offers you a "Reykjavik Handshake," don't accept it. 

Iceland, for the tenth year in a row, has topped European countries for the number of chlamydia cases. 

https://www.internations.org/iceland-expats/guide/living-in-iceland-15712/healthcare-education-and-safety-in-iceland-3

According to The Reykjavik Grapevine, "2,179 cases of chlamydia were diagnosed in Iceland last year, marking a 14% increase from 2012" This is in a country of 320,000 people. That's .6% of the country. 

Now.... before you get all scared and keep yourself from having any fun while in Iceland. It may not be as bad as it seems. These high numbers could also be due to the high-quality healthcare and extensive testing done. 

Just remember, better safe than sorry. 

Read More: Iceland #1 in Chlamydia For Tenth Year Running 

Looking For Brennivín Recipes?

The wait is over!!! You can now get Black Death in America!

No. I don't mean this Black Death. I'm talking about Brennivín. 

photo via Brennivín American 

You may remember I posted a few weeks back that Brennivín would soon be available in the United States. Well...you need to wait no longer, my fellow Icelandophiles and aquavit-lovers. It was recently announced by Brennivín America that Brooklyn based DrinkUpNY will be selling Brennivín domestically. 

In support of their stocking of Brennivín, DrinkUpNY recently posted on their blog, "Exploring Brennivín - The Icelandic Aquavit", recounting a brief history of the Icelandic aquavit along with a few recipes using the drink. If you'd like to buy some Brennivín from DrinkUpNY, you can do so here

I figured there had to be more recipes than that so I went looking through the interwebs for more ways to consume the caraway-flavored elixir and came up with the recipes below. 

COCKTAIL RECIPES

Northern Lights

• 1 part Brennivín
• 1/2 part Amaretto
• 1 part grapefruit juice
• splash of soda water
• garnish with an orange slice

via DrinkUpNY

Katla

• 1 part Brennivín
• 1/2 part Kahlua or other coffee liquor
• squeeze of lemon
• soda water

via DrinkUpNY

Geir

• 2 oz. Brennivín
• 1 oz. Kahlua liqueur
• Half-and-half

In a rocks glass, add brennivín and Kahlua over ice. Top with half-and-half, stir and serve. 

Nohito via The Grapevine.is

via TheAwl.com

B & T

• Use Brennivín as in a gin & tonic but garnish with lime wedge and dill sprig

via DrinkUpNY

Nohito

• 1 part Brennivín
• 1.5 parts Martini Bianco, 
• 1/2 part dark rum
• slice of lemon
• slice of lime
• Dash of Bols Peppermint
• Top off with 3 parts ginger ale

via The Reykjavik Grapevine

Mountain King

• 2 parts Brennivín
• 4 parts Mysa (whey produced during Icelandic yogurt production. A recipe for homemade Skyr is available here)
• Mountain Dew

via The Reykjavik Grapevine

1972

• 1 Can Coca-Cola, rested on a radiator until extremely warm 
• Combine with three shots of Brennivín

via The Reykjavik Grapevine

Eskimojito (From the Seafood Cellar Reykjavík)

• Muddled together in a long drink glass:
• 8 leaves of fresh mint 
• 3 wedges of fresh lime 
• 2 wedges of fresh green apple 
• Then add: 
• 2 cl. vanilla syrup (50/50 sugar and water with seeds from 2 vanilla pods per liter) 
• 2 cl. green apple pourée 
• 5 cl. Icelandic Brennivín 
• Then fill the glass with crushed ice and top it up with sparkling water. Decorate with the top of a mint branch.

(FYI... 2 cl = 2/3 fluid oz)
via Weinquelle

The Iceberg

• (Makes 2 cocktails) 
• Pulverize 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds in a mortar
• In a pitcher, stir
• 4 oz Brennivín
• 2 oz dry vermouth
• 2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbl wildflower honey, until honey dissolves
• Add 1/2 cup of ice, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces, and stir
• Strain into two cocktail glasses, add heaping tablespoon of ice to each glass and float a few pinches of caraway seeds on top

via The New York Times

Midnight Sun

(makes 1 cocktail)

• 2.5 oz Brennivín 
• 1 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• .75 oz Donn’s Mix #2 (see below)
• Juice of half a lime
• 8 cardamom pods
• 1 slice lime (for garnish)

photo via Steak For Dinner

Pour the aquavit, St. Germain, Donn’s Mix, and lime juice over the cardamom pods in a pint mixing glass. Muddle the ingredients together for a couple of minutes, really working to break down the cardamom pods. Add ice and shake for a few seconds. Strain into an old fashioned glass over ice and garnish with a slice of lime.

DONN’S MIX #2
RECIPE (makes about 1.5 cups):

• 5 cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
• 1 cup grapefruit juice
• 3/4 cup sugar

In a small pot, mix the sugar and 1/2 cup water and add the cinnamon. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, ensuring all of the sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 30 minutes and take off heat. Let the syrup cool and then mix it together with the grapefruit juice. 

via Steak for Dinner

Caraway Coffee

• Pinch of caraway seeds
• Coffee
• Brennivín to taste
• Add caraway seeds to pre-ground coffee or grind with fresh coffee beans. Brew the coffee and add Brennivín to taste.

via Jo's Icelandic Recipes

In addition to cocktails, Brennivín can be used in cooking such as for curing fish and other recipes that call for schnapps or a caraway flavor. 

Of course, you can also drink it how nature intended... as a chaser after eating Hákarl.

Has anyone tried any of these? What did you think? Do you have any ideas for ways to drink/use Brennivín? Let me know in the comments.

Further Reading
Drinking The Black Death - Vice.com

Tour Iceland ... Without Leaving Your Couch

           

Take an amazing journey around Iceland, without leaving your couch.

Brothers Patrick and Henrick Shyu of Blue Eden filmed this video of 2 weeks in March 2014 all around Iceland. 

Watch as you glide over frozen tundra and glaciers to waterfalls and volcanic rock all under the skyscape of Northern Lights. 

(h/t Iceland Review)

In A Land Far, Far Away... Iceland in Films

Do I have any film buffs reading this?

Then you've probably seen Iceland has been in the news lately related to the upcoming Star Wars film directed by JJ Abrams. 

This got me thinking about the many times I've watched a movie and tried to guess where the actual shooting location was. Does anyone else play that game? No. Just me? Ok. Cool.

I've decided to compile a list of popular movies/shows that have shot in Iceland.

Game of Thrones

I'm starting with an obvious one but as a huge Game of Thrones fan I had to go for it. Any scene taking place north of the wall is filmed in Iceland. 

http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/File:Wights_1x10.png

Fun fact*: Game of Thrones producers were the first to ever convince the large White Walker community in Iceland to be filmed on camera.

Noah

The upcoming Biblical Darren Aronofsky epic was filmed near Reykjavik in Fossvogur and also in the southern most point of the island in Reynisfjara. Reynisfjara is a breath-taking beach location. Seattle Travels named it as her favorite place in Iceland

Oblivion

Speaking of Dettifoss, the Tom Cruise post-apocalypse movie filmed at the waterfall and other areas around the country to fill in for the ruined landscape. The landscape was the most entertaining part of the movie. 

Prometheus

Many of the exterior shots were filmed in Iceland. The beginning of the film with the Engineer on a waterfall was filmed at the Dettifoss, supposedly the most power waterfall in Europe. Exterior shots around the Engineer ship were shot around Hekla. You may remember Hekla from my previous post, Want to Ride on a Volcano?  

Thor: The Dark World

Waterfalls in Iceland seem to be a popular shooting destination. Scenes of the Dark World for Thor were shot around Iceland, including Skógarfoss and Reykjavik.

http://screenrant.com/thor-2-costumes-photos-gallery/thor-2-the-dark-world-official-still-photo-asgard-waterfall/

What are your tell-tale signs of something being filmed in Iceland? Craggy landscape? Glaciers? Movies taking place in Iceland? 

*There are no such things are White Walkers, I think. 

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Black Death || Brennivín or What You Drink With Fermented Shark

Schnapps - Every country has their own take on it but none are, arguably, as notorious as Iceland's Brennivín aka Black Death. It is the drink that is traditionally served cold and used as a chaswer after eating Hákarl, or fermented shark.

Brennivín has only been available to people visiting Iceland and or to those lucky enough to have friends bring it back in suitcases from Duty-Free.

That's soon all about to change...

A new American importer, Brennivín America is about to supply locations all over the country.

Via it's twitter feed, @BrennivinUSA, they have confirmed that DrinkUpNY in Park Slope will be stocking it.

I'll keep you updated on any new locations.

Skál Restaurant - Iceland in New York City

Looking to get a taste of Iceland in New York City? If you're like me and looking to get a taste of the country you love so much, you're always on the lookout for new places that represent Iceland and the nordic region. Then hit up Skál in Chinatown. 

I recently had the pleasure of dining here and it was one of the best meals I've had in a while.


The interior is reminiscent of a cozy, Icelandic cottage with blue and white painted walls with a map of Iceland hanging over the bar.

The menu is fairly small, focusing on fish and meat. Below are two of the entrees - Duck Breast with Sunchoke and Rosted Sea Bream with pickled Cauliflower.

You're able to wash your meal down with interesting cocktails or even an Icelandic beer on draught.

To top it all off, Skál is a great deal for the price. I went there to celebrate a birthday and for two people who ordered several appetizers, drinks, two entreés and desserts, it came to under $200 before tip.

My menu recommendations are:

Crisped Pig Skin with salmon roe emulsion and malt vinegar

Charred Broccoli

Roasted Sea Bream (pictured above)

And their two "interesting" desserts are definitely not to be missed.
A Beet compote mixed with Skyr, Sorrel granita and roasted Radicchio (left)
A Winesap Apple and Oat crumble covered in a meringue with lemon thyme and ground cardamom. (right)

I highly recommend you check Skál out. What are you waiting for? GO NOW!

You can read more about Skál:
New York Times review - Following Nordic Tracks - Hungry City: Skal in Chinatown
Skál and Other Nordic-Inspired New York Restaurants - A Nordic Quest in New York

Welcome To My Blog / Velkomin á bloggið mitt

Columbus, Ohio:
Population: 809,798
Area: 223.1 sq. miles

Wilmington, Delaware(New Castle County):
Population: 546, 076
Area: 494 sq. miles

New York City
Population: 8,337,000 
Area: 468.5 sq. miles

Iceland
Population: 321,857
Area: 39,770 sq. miles

One of these things is not like the other. I'll give you one guess...

I was born in Columbus, Ohio. I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and I currently live in New York City. All of these are fairly dense urban or suburban centers. I'm the first to admit that I'm a city boy; I once neared panic-attack-levels of anxiety driving through the wilderness of coastal Oregon. 

So how would you explain falling in love with Iceland, a misunderstood country of 321,857 people with close to half located in the capital city of Reykjavik? 
Could it be their famous musicians, Björk and Sigur Rós? 
Their landscape being featured in movies and television shows like Game of Thrones? 
Our shared love of Huldufólk, or Hidden People?
Or possibly love of fermented shark chased with a shot of Black Death?

Answer: It's a little bit of everything. As judged by the clichéd nickname of the country, The Land of Fire and Ice, Iceland is a land of opposites. Most people end with that cursory depiction. Similarly, on the surface, New York City and Iceland appear to have nothing in common. While there are quire a few differences between the two, there is also quite a bit that connects the two cultures. 

This blog will explore the differences, similarities and everything in between. I hope you find it informative, enjoyable and helps you in your exploration of Iceland.