Pal's guide to Aquavit (and Akvavit and Akevitt)

[PalCabral]

With the Distillery cleaned up, the still washed, my new elements given their first taste of blood and my mini Alambique woken up from her beauty sleep with the first run in 20 years, I feel I am ready for my Summer plans. I had planned two projects for this Summer: doing a Whiskey using YLAY and making Norwegian Aquavit.

In this thread I was thinking of sharing with you how I make the national spirit of the Scandinavian countries, Aquavit. Being Norwegian, growing up on Sweden, I would be a fool if I didn’t know the booze we make and drink here. In this first post I will try to give you a rundown of what Aquavit is. There's quite a few posts on the forum about Aquavit that are fairly incorrect and some that are borderline wrong. As a Scandinavian, I want people to know about our national spirit, understand it and enjoy it. Although I will try to keep the historic parts at a minimum, and I love history, I’m a wordy booger so chances are there will be many words and not so short regardless… However, if you want more history, ask me and I’ll post it separately.

Aquavit is these days a regulated and protected type of spirits by the EU. In addition, the Norwegians have further regulated what may or may not be called a Norwegian Aquavit and EU has given it a GI, Geographical Indicaton. But it wasn’t always so. The name Aquavit, of course, comes from the latin “water of life” moniker that is found in so many different languages and cultures around the world, and in Scandinavia it was one of many names to indicate flavored spirits, without being super specific about what it really meant. However, with time it became synonymous with spirits flavored with bread and baking spices, specifically Caraway. By the 19th century it was a type of flavored alcohol that people started to recognize as a distinct style of flavored spirits. However, the floating definition of Aquavit as a flavored alcohol still is creating confusion - many believe that any flavored spirit can be called Aquavit. For this reason, and others, Aquavit was regulated by EU (in 2008, I believe) as a spirit that must obtain its’ main character from Caraway or Dill. And here I need to point out that we are talking about seeds, not Dill flowers. Caraway and Dill seeds come out very similarly in a distillate, difficult to distinguish for the common man.

However, the traditional way to make Aquavit is not to distill it. Aquavit is flavored after distillation, at home, often so by housewives or pensionists. The idea of distilling the spices is a fairly new concept, only really done by licensed distilleries. The common man would buy pure alcohol or Vodka, either from the liquor store or moonshine, and spice his own Aquavit in jars. Both in Norway and Denmark it's possible to buy high proof alcohol for the purpose of making your own Aquavit, in Sweden it was taken off the shelves some 50-60 years ago. Some Aquavit recipes are family secrets, made specifically for the big holidays or for special occasions during the year, almost like a ritual.

Aquavit is touted as the Scandinavian spirit but there are differences between the three countries, but it can be made anywhere. When the Aquavit regulation was created it was a compromise, not necessarily loved by all. Let’s look at the differences between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Aquavit.

Denmark
-----------
First of all, the Danes spell it Akvavit. Being an agricultural country, on the European continent no less, it’s only fair to say the Danish Akvavit is the most delicate. Danish Akvavit is clean, delicate flavors, rarely overly anything. Although Caraway is common in Danish Akvavit, the Danes were the one who pushed for Dill seeds being a fundamental ingredient along with Caraway in Akvavit. Dill seeds are not so common in Swedish Akvavit and never used in Norwegian. Danish Akvavit is traditionally made from rye, wheat or barley, and usually consumed white, unaged, and so is most Danish schnaps which goes way beyond Akvavit. Danish alcohol culture is very similar with the one in North Germany with clean grain flavored tipples or heavy flavored bitters, such as Gammel Dansk.
Known brands: Aalborg Taffel (Maltese Cross), Aalborg Jubeleum, Bröndums Snaps.

Aalborg.jpg

Sweden
---------
Sweden has a long history of flavored spirits, called Kryddat Brännvin, which may be done with any spices, berries or fruit. Swedish Aquavit, or Akvavit, the Swedes use both spellings, is often quite flavorful. More spices are used, different spices are used, and in bigger quantities than with the Danes and Norwegians. Traditionally, the base alcohol has been anything cheap at the moment, we’re talking about barley, potatoes, sugar beet, even cellulosic ethanol from the paper industry, meaning that the flavorings were partially meant to hide the fact that the alcohol base could be changing over time. These days wheat is generally the base for Swedish Aquavit.

Swedish Aquavit is usually made with Caraway seeds, but often include many additional spices, such as Fennel, Anise seeds, Star Anise, Seville orange and/or Lemon peels, St. John’s Wort, Cloves, Grains of Paradise, and many more. The recipes, especially the old ones, are quite complex, giving Swedish Aquavit often a strong and bold flavor. In Sweden, Aquavit can be both clean, white, as well as oak matured. However, Swedish Aquavit is rarely matured for years as is custom in Norway.
Known brands: OP Andersson, Skåne Akvavit, Gammal Norrlands Aquavit.

OP andersson.jpg

Norway
---------
Being limited by geography and climate, Norway’s only cheap source of starch is and was always potatoes. In fact, the potato base is deemed so important for Norwegian Aquavit, that in 2011 it was regulated that Norwegian Aquavit must be made by 100% potatoes. Interestingly, although Aquavit is produced in all of Norway, the three big potato growing regions of Norway, Oppland, Hedmark and Tröndelag, are also where you find the classic Aquavit producers. It is strange that Norway never launched a major potato based Vodka brand but I believe it’s because every single starch rich tater is going straight to the Aquavit industry.

However, potatoes is not the only thing that sets Norwegian Aquavit, or Akevitt as it is also called in Norway, apart. Maybe more importantly, Norwegian Aquavit is typically a brown spirit, meaning it has been aged in oak barrels. In 2020, the regulations of Norwegian Aquavit were changed again and now states that the spirit must be oak aged for a minimum of 6 months. This meant that a number of unaged, white, Aquavits made in Norway either needed to change their labeling or include a token maturation on spent oak barrels to be able to continue call themselves Norwegian Aquavit. The oak aging differentiates Norwegian Aquavit from its’ Danish and Swedish counterparts and has become something of an artform. There are examples of Norwegian Aquavit being in casks for over 10 years, making the spirit more akin to Scottish Whisky taste-wise, with different types of special barrel finishing, such as in Sherry casks, Portwine pipes, Madeira and Marsala barrels.

However, the most famous Norwegian Aquavits are the Linie Aquavits, which sails with Norwegian cargo ships around the world, crossing the equator, the line, at least twice. The constant movement and temperature changes during the voyage improves the flavors of the Aquavit and speeds up the maturation process. There are experts that can tell which ship the Linie Aquavit has travelled on just by tasting it.

Caraway is the king in Norwegian Aquavit, often supported by small amounts of Fennel seeds, Star Anise, and dried bitter orange peels. The few clear Aquavits still available on the market since the new regulations have either been redistilled after the minimum aging requirement or have been matured in old inactive oak barrels. However, clear Aquavit is not customary, the traditional Norwegian Aquavit is oak flavored and brown.
Known brands: Löitens Linie Aquavit, Lysholms Linie Aquavit, Gammel Opland, Gilde.

Löitens.jpg

Making Aquavit

The normal procedure to make Aquavit is to macerate the spices in alcohol of an ABV of 55% to 75% to produce an essence, rather than flavoring the final product. There is no one-size fits all, the length of maceration is different for every spice, but 5-7 days of maceration is generally enough time for the essence to develop the necessary flavors. The essence is then used to spice the final product in small quantities. The issue with this method is that the color of the final product tends to get gray and murky, and there’s usually sedimentation in the bottle. The flavors tends to be sharp around the edges and unbalanced when young and need a couple of months to marry and harmonize. If presentation and urgency are important, the maceration method is sub-optimal. The benefit, however, is that we achieve a more true flavor of the spices used with this method.

If the final product is being flavored, the maceration time is shorter and needs to be carefully controlled so not to be overwhelming. It works well with one or two spices having the same maceration time but if one or many of the ingredients need shorter or longer time to infuse the final product, it gets complicated. Working with essences makes it easier to administer the correct amount of flavors to the final product, but both methods works and are used.

Distilling the macerate is a more modern way of making Aquavit, mainly because most people in Scandinavia didn’t have access to stills in the past. The benefits of distilling the macerate are much shorter maceration times needed, and that you end up with a clear, white, distillate, giving you the possibility to impact the visuals of the spirit yourself. The flavors also marry and harmonize quicker, we are talking weeks instead of months for flavors to stabilize. Distilling also alters flavors which means that you lose a little of the true flavor quality of the spices used with this method. Or rather, they won’t taste the same. Distilled macerates are delicate, rarely heavy, unless you overload the amount of spices. Typically, the spices are steeped in 60-75% ABV alcohol for 12-24 hours before being diluted to 30-35% ABV and distilled in a pot still. Seeds will typically be included in the boil, roots and peels may or may not be filtered out before distillation.

When it comes to the ingredients the only mandatory spices are either Caraway seeds or Dill seeds, rarely both. The flavor should be dominated by either Caraway or Dill. The remaining spices are up to you. However, a couple of words of advice. Overwhelmingly complicated recipes with +5 ingredients typically fall out of the Aquavit frame due the fact that the Caraway/Dill flavor emphasis is lost. The remaining ingredients should be kept in low quantities as to only influence the Aquavit flavor, not obscure it. Juniper, berries, fruits, “exotic” spices, and bitter roots are not typical ingredients in Aquavit. There is nothing that stops you from using it, no laws that forbid their use, but be aware they make a flavored spirit that is only Aquavit by name and not by flavor. The well-known Odin’s Aquavit recipe on the Parent Site is such a case and, unfortunately, I’ve seen quite a few examples of Aquavit recipes that make a different drink than the spirit of Aquavit. Odin has since changed his Aquavit recipe and it is no longer containing junipers. If you are using berries, fruit, or something "exotic", make sure the flavor contribution is as a supporter, don't let them take center stage. Or just call your flavored spirit something else.

My plan this summer is to make three different homemade recipes of Aquavit. The recipes date back to the late 80’ies, early 90’ies, when I was distilling (more or less) neutral spirits in my apartment in Årsta in Stockholm, as base for Aquavit. I haven’t made them for many years, so it’s a little bit a matter of memory recovery and documentation for the future involved here. I also didn’t distill the macerate in those days, so I am adding a new step to the old recipes in this project. I will be using my 6L mini Alambique, Natalia, for this project. Its’ smaller size and use of external heating makes it perfect for distilling macerates and infusions.

The three Aquavits I am planning to make are:
1. Sköntorps Skogsstjärna – a very discretely spiced Aquavit, flavored with Caraway, Seville orange peels and fusel oils. This is a Swedish Aquavit, hailing from the traditional spirit producing area of Stockholm called Årsta.
2. Tunheim Taffel – a rounded oak matured Caraway and Fennel flavored Norwegian Aquavit.
3. Baåga Grand Reserve – a well matured oaked Aquavit flavored with Caraway, Fennel and Coriander.

I hope this has peaked your interest and made you interested in drinking and making the spirits from my countries. Feel free to ask questions or share your experience of Aquavit.

In coming posts I will share my recipes and how I make them. If you have a recipe you'd like to share, pop it in here! More to follow.

[Copperhead road]

Fantastic summary on the information involved making the 3 types of Aquavit from there different regions. It’s a very interesting read @Pal.

[PalCabral]

Fantastic summary on the information involved making the 3 types of Aquavit from there different regions. It’s a very interesting read @Pal.

Thanks Copperhead. Will soon share the first recipe.

[Spokerider]

Yes, thank you for the comprehensive look at "the water of life".

I too am looking forward to trying your up-coming recipes.
The psuedo-akvavit spirit that I made, was so liked by all, it's gone, and I'm about to make another batch.

[PNW Hobbyist]

Great post and thank you so much for the info! Would love to hear how your recipes went as I am going to try my first Aquavit this summer

[PalCabral]

Great post and thank you so much for the info! Would love to hear how your recipes went as I am going to try my first Aquavit this summer

I ran out of time and space last year after starting too many parallel project, PNW. I had to down-prioritize some things, Aquavit was unfortunately one of them. I don't have time to pick it up this year either, I'm afraid.

But I'll be glad to give you support and advise with your project, should you need and want it. Use this thread, or PM me directly.

[PNW Hobbyist]

I TOTALLY Get the lack of time getting in the way. Finally got a whiskey recipe I have been wanting to try into the fermenter after a year of planning because home repairs/remodel, being a teacher, and life. I will hit you up for sure