Bad SeedCocktail recipe
Rating
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Bad Seed sits firmly in the modern sour family: a short, spirit-forward drink sharpened with citrus and deepened with bitter liqueur. With akvavit as the base, you’re in Scandinavian-leaning territory, where caraway and dill-like spice bring a savoury edge that instantly sets it apart from more familiar gin or whiskey sours. Beyond that, it reads as a contemporary, bar-style riff built around the interplay of herbal bitterness and bright acidity rather than a cocktail with a widely agreed origin story.
You’ll find the akvavit’s distinctive spice meets a double measure of amaro, layering herbal sweetness with a firm, lingering bitterness. The lemon juice cuts straight through that richness, keeping the drink taut and refreshing while pulling the amaro’s botanicals into sharper focus. Expect a palate that starts bright and citrusy, then turns darker and more complex as the amaro expands and the akvavit’s savoury notes reappear on the finish.
Serve it in a lowball when you want something bracing but grown-up—ideal as an aperitif or a pre-dinner reset. It suits you if you like sours that aren’t candy-sweet, and if you’re drawn to bitter, herbal drinks with a crisp citrus backbone. It also works nicely for cooler evenings, when you want intensity without heaviness.
Microbadges
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Cocktail Colin says:
Akvavit leads with caraway-dill snap, quickly wrapped in dense amaro bitterness, while lemon juice flashes bright and tart to keep the sip tight and bracing. It works because lemon juice lifts the amaro’s dark edges and the akvavit’s savory spice, making a compact, spirit-forward sour for bitter lovers and anyone who wants citrus without sweetness.
Method
How to make a Bad Seed
- Akvavit 22.5ml, Amaro 22.5ml, Amaro 22.5ml, Lemon juice 22.5ml
-
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice
-
- Shake well for 10-15 seconds or until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted
-
- Strain into ice-filled rocks glass and serve
Power tips
Elevate the Bad Seed with these master mixologist tips
Upgrade to premium
And receive world class tips on how to raise your cocktails to the next level.
Find out more- Upgrade to premium to receive power tips from top bartenders around the world. Raise you mixology game.
- Read the tweaks that take this simple cocktail to the next level of greatness. Become the next best mixologist which people all talk about.
Your private tasting notes
Featured in
FAQ's
Can I substitute one type of Amaro in the Bad Seed cocktail for another?
Yes, Amaro can vary significantly in flavor depending on the brand and type. Substituting one Amaro for another in the Bad Seed cocktail can alter its profile, often leading to a more customized and personal drink experience. If you prefer a sweeter or more bitter undertone, choose an Amaro that reflects these characteristics.
What is the best way to serve a Bad Seed cocktail?
The Bad Seed cocktail is best served in a lowball glass, chilled. To enhance its flavors, it's advisable to shake the ingredients with ice and then strain them into the glass. This method ensures that the cocktail remains cold and vibrant in taste. Serving it immediately after preparation preserves its aromatic integrity.
What are some recommended garnishes for the Bad Seed?
For the Bad Seed cocktail, a twist of lemon peel makes an excellent garnish. The lemon's citrusy aroma complements the cocktail's ingredients, especially the lemon juice. Other options include a cherry or a small sprig of mint for color contrast and an additional layer of scent and taste.
Should the Bad Seed cocktail be stirred or shaken?
The Bad Seed cocktail should be shaken. Shaking is recommended for this cocktail to properly combine the lemon juice with the Akvavit and Amaro, ensuring a uniform mixture. Moreover, shaking introduces a slight dilution and chill, which enhances the cocktail's overall texture and taste.
How does the alcohol content in a Bad Seed compare to a standard cocktail?
With an alcohol content of 22.5%, the Bad Seed is slightly above the range typically seen in classic cocktails, which often hover around 15-20% ABV. This makes the Bad Seed a stronger choice, suitable for those preferring a potent drink, while still being within a moderate range compared to high-alcohol options like straight spirits.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Access to Cocktail Colin; ask Cocktail Colin anything on an individual cocktail and he'll give you the answers you need.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out moreYou might also like
Create a cocktail
Choose a theme and some ingredients, give us some description and we'll create an amazing cocktail for you.
Register as a Premium Make Me a Cocktail community member and get access to an even more powerful creator.
Start creatingBuild your bar
Tell us what you have at home and we’ll find a delicious cocktail for you to make right now.
Register as a Make Me a Cocktail community member and we’ll save your ingredients list so you can come back to it at any time.
Create My Bar
Cocktail Colin
Your cocktail expert
Hi! I'm Cocktail Colin
Ask me anything about this cocktail - how to make it, substitutions, variations, or any other questions!
Become a member to access Cocktail Colin
Become a member (for free) to pick Cocktail Colin's cocktail filled brain on everything on this cocktail, from substitutions, if you can use what you have, to serving suggestions and more.
Become a member
Comments