Kümmul What May
Kümmul is a distilled spirit found in many eastern European countries. At its simplest caraway is combined with grain alcohol, left to sit for a few days and then distilled. 
Before bottling it is combined with sugar and water to produce a high-alcohol spirit.
Other ingredients may be added prior to distilling, depending on the producer’s (often secret) recipes. Cumin, fennel and anise are common additions. A homemade kümmul recipe indicates citrus peel may also be used for a “fancy” version. Oddbins describes Kümmel Wolfschmidt liquor as: “Powerful, lifted aromas of aniseed, liquorice and cumin. Sweet but with a clean, crisp finish.”
It is generally accepted that this beverage was first created by the Dutch, specifically Erven Lucas Bols, although there are those who dispute this claim. It spread throughout Russia, Germany and eastern Europe and is manufactured by several producers. Originally considered a digestif due to caraway’s relaxing and carminative properties it is now often found at golf clubs as part of an after-lunch resotrative ritual - although some would say it’s the liquor’s 39% alcohol content that provides the relaxation!
The most common way to consume kümmul is as an icy-cold shot. However, both the Webtender and DrinksMixer list several cocktails that use kümmul as an ingredient.
