Akvavit

Akvavit (or Aquavit for us Colonials, or Akevitt for the Norwegians), is a flavoured spirit made from potatoes or grain and produced in Scandinavia that generally contains about 40% to 45% alcohol. Often flavoured with caraway seeds, anise, cardamom, or fennel, Akvavit is a traditional part of the Scandinavian drinking culture and is used particularly to accompany fall and winter meals such as pinnekjøtt and smalahove. It is a very fragrant spirit that comes in several varieties, from the lighter, fruitier tastes, to the darker, heavily spiced notes.

While Akvavit is produced in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the Norwegians have a particular production called linje akvavits. These have been carried on ships in oak casks from Oslo, Norway across the equator (linje) to Australia and back to Oslo via Asia and North America. The claim is that the sloshing about in the casks and the changes in temperature extract more flavour from the casks.

The earliest written reference to Akvavit was found in a letter from a Danish Lord to the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Norway dated April 13, 1531, which evidently accompanied a package and stated in part:

"Dear lord, will your grace know that I send your grace some water with Jon Teiste which is called Aqua vite and the same water helps for all his illness that a man can have internally."

I visited Norway in Fall 2008 and, at my request for a traditional Norwegian meal, found myself sitting down to pinnekjøtt with ample amounts of Akevitt. The idea is that, while not necessarily as medicinal as the Danish Lord proclaimed, the Akvavit aids in the digestion of foods rich in fat.

Later that evening, we were taken to a bar called Logen in Bergen  where we took part in an Akevitt tasting. I personally found that I enjoyed the lighter varieties far more than the dark, but I suspect that this is primarily due to my personal dislike of the caraway/anise type flavourings.

Interestingly enough, there is a restaurant in Manhattan, New York called Aquavit which boasts traditional Scandinavian cuisine and a list of Aquavit based cocktails. Perhaps a pilgrimage to this cocktail menu is in order...


Until next time,

Drink With Care, Friends