Akvavit

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A bottle and glass of Linie brand akvavit.

Akvavit, also known as aquavit or akevitt, is a Scandinavian distilled beverage of typically about 40% alcohol by volume. Its name comes from aqua vitae, the Latin for "water of life".

[edit] Ingredients

Akvavit, like vodka, is distilled from either potato or grain. It is flavoured with herbs such as caraway seeds, anise, dill, fennel, coriander, and grains of paradise. The Danish distillery Aalborg makes an akvavit distilled with amber. The recipe and flavors differ between brands, but typically caraway is the dominating flavour. Akvavit usually has a yellowish hue, but can vary from clear to light brown, depending on how long it has been aged in oak casks. Normally, darker colour suggests higher age or the use of young casks, though artificial colour (caramel - E150) is also permitted. Clear akvavits called Taffel akvavits (taffel is the name of the dining part of a traditional Scandinavian dinner party) are typically matured in old casks which do not colour the finished product.

The word Akvavit (Aqua Vite) was borrowed from Medieval Latin aqua vītae, highly distilled spirits : Latin aqua, water; see aqua + Latin vītae, genitive of vīta, life^[1]. The story that it actually means "Water from the Vine", while picturesque, is a folk etymology derived through confusing Latin vītae with Italian vite, vine, versus vita, life (the other Romance languages preserve the original distinction between the two words more clearly). The Gaelic word whisky is derived from the same Latin source ^[2].

[edit] Origin and traditional variants

The earliest known reference to akvavit is found in a 1531 letter from the Danish Lord of Bergenshus castle, Eske Bille to Olav Engelbretsson, the last Archbishop of Norway. The letter, dated April 13, accompanying a package, offers the archbishop "some water which is called Aqua Vite and is a help for all sort of sickness which a man can have both internally and externally."

While this claim for the medicinal properties of the drink may be rather inflated, it is a popular belief that akvavit will ease the digestion of rich foods. In Denmark it is traditionally associated with Christmas lunch. In Norway it is particularly drunk at celebrations, such as Christmas or May 17 (Norwegian Constitution Day). In Sweden it is a staple of the traditional midsummer celebrations dinner, usually drunk while singing one of many drinking songs. It is usually drunk as a schnapps during meals, especially during the appetizer course— along with pickled herring, crayfish, lutefisk or smoked fish. In this regard it is popularly quipped that akvavit helps the fish swim down to the stomach. It is also a regular on the traditional Norwegian Christmas meals, including roasted rib of pork and stickmeat (pinnekjøtt). It is said that the spices and the alcohol helps digest the meal which is very rich in fat.

Among the most important brands are Løiten, Lysholm and Gilde from Norway, Aalborg from Denmark and O.P Andersson from Sweden. While the Danish and Swedish variants are normally very light in colour, most of the Norwegian brands are matured in oak casks for at least one year and for some brands even as long as 12 years, making them generally darker in colour. While members of all three nations can be found to claim that "their" style of Akvavit is the best as a matter of national pride, Norwegian akevitt tend to have, if not the most distinctive character, then at least the most overpowering flavour and deepest colour due to the aging process.

Particular to the Norwegian tradition is the occurrence of Linie akvavits (such as "Løiten Linie" and "Lysholm Linie"). These have been carried in oak casks onboard ships crossing the equator ("Linie") twice before it is sold. While many experts claim that this tradition is little more than a gimmick, some argue that the moving seas and frequent temperature changes cause the spirit to extract more flavour from the casks. Norwegian akvavit distillers Arcus has carried out a scientific test where they tried to emulate the rocking of the casks aboard the "Linie" ships while the casks were subjected to the weather elements as they would aboard the same ship. The finished product was according to Arcus far from the taste that a proper "Linie" akvavit should have, thus the tradition of shipping the akvavit casks past the "Linie" and back continues.

[edit] Akvavit drinking culture

There are several methods of drinking akvavit. It is surprisingly often shot a glass at a time, and although this is usually attributed to tradition, it is suspected that it has something to do with the fact that some people have problems with the spirit's "special" taste. Akvavit connoisseurs, on the other hand, tend to treat akvavit like fine whisky, sipping slowly away and delving into flavours and aromas.

Akvavit arguably complements beer better than many other spirits, and in a drinking situation, any quantity of akvavit is usually preceded (or succeeded) by a swig of beer. Enthusiasts generally lament this practice, claiming that the beer will ruin the delicately balanced flavour and aftertaste.

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• When introducing skeptical celebrity friends Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones to akvavit at a private home dinner, Norwegian film director Harald Zwart excused akvavit's taste by calling it "rocket fuel".^{[citation needed]}
• Also referred to as "Viking Fire Water" or "Norwegian Fire Water" by some.^{[citation needed]}
• Akvavit is a part of the Finnish drink Marskin ryyppy (The Marshal's drink/shot), named after Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.

[edit] Spellings

• Danish: Akvavit, Snaps or Dram (Dram is an old expression)
• English: Akvavit or Aquavit
• Finnish: Akvaviitti
• German: Aquavit
• Norwegian: Akevitt or Dram
• Swedish: Akvavit or Kryddat brännvin
• Icelandic: Ákavíti

[edit] See also

• Snaps
• Brännvin (A more general term, also including unflavoured brands.)
• List of Akvavit producers

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Canadian Aquavit producer
• Malmo Akvavit - Artisanal Swedish akvavit
• Linie Aquavit
• Canadian Aquavit producer
• Danish Aquavit producer
• Rituals: A Pour. A Staredown. A Civilized Bonding.