Is aquavit simply flavored vodka?

Question

I've been playing around with infusing vodkas...nothing too complicated, but they've been turning out really well. Having been to Aquavit NYC, I've sampled thier aquavits and I was impressed. The question is...are they simply flavored vodka or is there a different base alcohol? Is it a specific type of vodka...say, potato vodka? Is infused vodka only considered aquavit if certain ingredients are used to infuse the alcohol? Does anyone out there have any good recipes?

Answer 1

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

Like vodka, it is distilled from potato or grain. It is flavoured with herbs such as caraway seeds, cumin, dill, fennel, coriander, and grains of paradise, among others. Akvavit usually has a yellowish hue, but is available in many colours, from clear to light brown.

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, 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 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 snaps 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 (Pinnakjøtt). It is said that the spices and the alcohol helps the stomach cope with all the fat that are in these meals.

Among the most important brands are Gilde and Løiten's Linie from Norway, Aalborg from Denmark and Skåne and O.P Andersson from Sweden. 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. The Linie brands ("Løiten Linie" and "Lysholm Linie") is carried in old oaken sherry casks on ships, crossing the equator ("Linie") twice before it is sold, which makes it mellower than other brands. A similar process is applied to Madeira wine.

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.

Brännvin is a more general term, also including unflavoured brands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akvavit

Answer 2

Aquavit Vodka

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Thank you for bringing back the memories of many smorg celebrations. Yummy!!

Answer 5

I agree with most of what's been answered