Hans Gruber
Inspired by the cold, calculating charm of Hans Gruber, this cocktail blends German Kummel and dry Riesling with herbal and citrus notes to create a complex, elegant drink that mirrors the villain’s refined menace and hidden depth. (Recipe Below)
Inspired by the darkly composed mastermind, Hans Gruber. His cool and complex demeanor along with his German roots prompted the use of the two spirits in this cocktail. First, Kummel which is a German spirit flavored with caraway, cumin and fennel giving the flavor a gently sweet, full bodied and fresh herbal flavors this matches with Hans as his true intentions are misunderstood and only revealed in the later part of the film. German Riesling was also chosen for its region, but also because it is a dry Riesling which matches with Hans Gruber's cold, dry demeanor. Lemon Oleo Saccharum, The Rhubarb Bitters, Saline and Lemon Oil from the expressed peel all deliciously support and bring out the flavors of the Kummel and Riesling. We serve this in a coupe glass without a garnish because we wanted to keep this clean looking, like Hans. For one of movies most hallowed villains, we think this is a fantastic cocktail that really embodies this character.
Hans Gruber
1.5 oz (45mL) Kummel
.5 oz (15mL) Lemon Oleo Saccharum
Dropper Saline
2 Dashes Rhubarb Bitters
3 oz German Riesling
Lemon
In a mixing glass, combine 1.5 oz Kummel, .5 oz Lemon Oleo Saccharum, dropper of saline and 2 dashes of Rhubarb Bitters, fill with ice and stir for 2 minutes. Strain into a chilled coupe and top with German Riesling. Peel and Express a Lemon Peel over top.
Lemon Oleo Saccharum
4 oz (113 g) Fresh, Clean Lemon
Peels 4 oz (113 g) Cane Sugar
Combine Peels and Cane Sugar in a heavy duty resealable bag or resealable container. Muddle or massage until the oils start to release. Let it sit for 24 hours occasionally muddling or massaging every few hours. Strain out the liquid, store in an airtight container. Store peels in an airtight container. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Cocktail recipes and instruction videos are created by Boozy Movies, LLC
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Golden Moon Kummel
Country: United States
ABV: 80 proof/40%
Brand: Maison De La Vie, Ltd.
Spirits Type: Liqueurs/Cordials/Schnapps
Taste:
Price Category: $
An herbal liqueur that is mostly sweet, flavored with caraway, fennel and cumin reminiscent of sweet sausage. Deliciously paired with tree and stone fruits.
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German Riesling
8-12% ABV
German Rieslings produce a fresh flavor showcasing tree fruit and mineral flavors without the oakiness that is generally characteristic of most Riesling wines. Late harvest Rieslings tend to have a higher ABV along with acidity. German Rieslings are almost never blended with other varieties, and they are a major producer of cloned vines.
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Lemon Oleo Saccharum
Made with lemon peels and sugar macerating together to extract the oil from the peels. This results in a lightly lemon flavored syrup with no acidity. Peels from the saccharum can be sugared for candied lemon peel or used in garnishes
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Rhubarb Bitters
9 proof/4.5% ABV
Fee Brothers
Made with natural and artificial flavors, these Rhubarb bitters bring a lot of lingering flavor to the front of the palate. A light vegetal flavor with hints of fennel and a berry sweet scent. These bitters have almost no color or alcohol content so several dashes will not have any effect on the cocktail color bite or bitterness, which could be surprising for rhubarb.
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Salt/Saline
Salt is a great flavor changer. It can balance sweetness and bitterness, smoothing out a cocktail. It can also enhance citrus flavor and acidity without the need for more acid. It is most commonly used in rimming cocktail glasses, but a sprinkle in the cocktail shaker can really impact a cocktail. Make it into a saline solution to enhance stirred cocktails.
Yippee Ki Yay at Nakatomi Plaza: Die Hard, Cold-Blooded Cocktails, and the Fight for Christmas Cinema
Die Hard detonates the holiday movie genre from the inside out, with Bruce Willis’s John McClane arriving in Los Angeles not for festive cheer, but for the uneasy wreckage of a marriage that’s already slipping through his fingers like spent shell casings. What follows is the ultimate corporate Christmas party gone violently off-script, as Hans Gruber and his impeccably tailored crew seize Nakatomi Plaza, leaving McClane barefoot, isolated, and improvising survival tactics through vents, glass, and sheer stubbornness. The cocktails inspired by this standoff mirror that duality, beginning with “Hans,” a crystalline, cold-blooded blend of kummel, dry Riesling, lemon oleo saccharum, and rhubarb bitters that drinks with the precision and restraint of a man who never raises his voice unless it matters. Its counterpart, “Yippee Ki Yay,” is a Manhattan gone feral — rye whiskey, Campari, hot honey, and vermouth colliding in a bitter, burning rush that feels like crawling through broken glass just to reach the next floor of the fight. And like the film itself, these drinks remind us that beneath all the debates, explosions, and glass-shard poetry, Die Hard endures because it understands the simplest truth of action cinema: sometimes love, survival, and holiday spirit all look exactly like refusing to stay down.
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