Aquavit in the US
Aquavit’s roots in Scandinavia go back centuries, at least to the early 1500s, when it was praised for its alleged medicinal policies. In the Nordic countries there are dozens of brands of aquavit. Only a handful of these make it to the United States, although this number is rising. Fortunately, a handful of American distillers have seized the opportunity to make their own renditions of the spirit, most of them in the Pacific Northwest or the Northern Midwest. All aquavit must be flavored with caraway or dill, but the addition of other botanicals and the use of barrel ageing gives aquavit a very wide range of flavors.
Below is a list of aquavits one may come across in the United States. If there are any I am missing, please let me know!
64 Reykjavik Dill Aquavit — Icelandic aquavit pot distilled with dill seeds, foraged angelica, and wild Arctic thyme.
Aalborg Jubilæums — This aquavit was created for the 100th anniversary of Aalbord Taffel aquavit in 1946. It is flavored with dill and coriander, along with a extract of American white oak.
Aalborg Taffel — A traditional clear Danish-style table aquavit flavored with caraway. The 45% abv recipe was reintroduced to the United States this year.
Åhus Akvavit Midvinter — Limited edition holiday aquavit distilled with caraway, fennel, winter apple, lemon peel, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Åhus Akvavit Original — Aquavit from the classic Swedish distilling town Åhus. Distilled with caraway, rosemary, lemon peel, Seville orange, and fennel.
Adrift Aquavit — From the Adrift distillery in Long Beach, Washington an aquavit with notes of dill, caraway, coriander, and anise.
Aquavit New York White Cranberry — Swedish aquavit distilled for the Aquavit restaurant in New York City.
Bareksten Botanical Aquavit — Craft Norwegian aquavit from Bergen with a potato-based spirit made in-house. Aged in oloroso sherry casks.
Batch 22 — A citrus-forward infused with various botanicals and spices. Made in Fullerton, California.
Bestemors — Produced by the Heritage Distilling Company in Gig Harbor, Washington, this aquavit is distilled with caraway, dill, and other botanicals.
Blinking Owl — Made from a base spirit of wheat and malted barley and macerated with ten botanicals, including caraway, dill, and hibiscus. Made in Orange County, California.
Blinking Owl Barrel Vacationed Aquavit — Available exclusively at the tasting room, this Blinking Owl aquavit “vacationed” for 24 months in rye whiskey barrels and is bottled at 90-proof.
Bluewater Wintermoon Barrel-Aged Aquavit — Limited edition barrel aged aquavit aged for a year in an ex-bourbon barrel.
Bluewater Wintersun Aquavit — Distilled in Everett, Washington, with caraway, aniseed and orange.
Bluewater Wizard Aquavit — Very limited edition sea-aged aquavit, aged in an oak barrel kept aboard the Wizard crabbing ship for a winter season in Alaska. Bottled at cask strength and probably the most expensive aquavit in the United States at $225 per bottle.
Brennivin — Also known as the “Black Death” of Iceland. Dave Grohl’s favorite. Caraway-forward, well-balanced, and approachable.
Brennivin Rúgbraud Edition — Classic Brennivin infused with dark Icelandic rye bread baked at Geysir. Caraway and rye, who knew?
Brennivin Special Cask Selection Winter Aquavit — A very limited annual release that varies a bit every year, typically aged in sherry and bourbon casks.
California Aqua Vitae — An aquavit produced in California by Geijer Spirits that is made with traditional aquavit spices along with sage, ginger, grapefruit, and orange peel.
CH Aquavit — Distilled in Chicago with caraway seeds, fennel, fresh dill, cardamom pods and grains of paradise.
Dampfwerk Aquavit — A Minnesota aquavit with German inspiration, this aquavit features an infusion of bourbon whiskey.
Dead of Night Aquavit — Aquavit from the Dead of Night distillery in Los Angeles.
Devil’s Head Distillery — A 100% grain-to-glass aquavit distilled from malted barley, featuring seven different botanicals, with caraway the prominent. Made in Englewood, CO.
Devil’s Head Distillery Oak Barrel Reserve — An aged expression of the Devil’s Head aquavit that spends a minimum of one-and-a-half years in charred new American oak barrels.
Fylleangst — An aquavit from New Alchemy Distilling in El Dorado Hills, California, distilled with toasted caraway, coriander, cumin, anise, fenugreek, summer savory, lemongrass, and other botanicals.
Gamle Ode Alderen Dill — A limited edition of Gamle Ode’s dill finished in wine barrels.
Gamle Ode Celebration — Dill, caraway, coriander, juniper, star anise, vanilla, and orange and lemon peels are among the botanicals in this complex aquavit. It’s aged in a mix of barrels, half used for 45th Parallel’s Border Bourbon and half used for the Gamle Ode Holiday aquavit. Distilled in Wisconsin by 45th Parallel for Gamle Ode in Minneapolis.
Gamle Ode Dill — A personal favorite. A Danish-style dill aquavit with a very distinctive aroma complemented by a light touch of caraway and juniper. Excellent sipped chilled or mixed into cocktails. Distilled by 45th Parallel in Wisconsin for Gamle Ode in Minneapolis.
Gamle Ode Holiday — A “jule” style aquavit with holiday spices. The botanicals include dill, caraway, juniper, orange peel, mint, and allspice, and it’s aged for six months in wine barrels from Alexis Bailly Vineyard. Released once a year. Distilled by 45th Parallel in Wisconsin for Gamle Ode in Minneapolis.
Gamle Ode Holiday on Rye — A limited edition of Gamle Ode’s Holiday aquavit aged 18 months in barrels previously used to age New Richmond’s rye whiskey. Bottled at 100.47 proof.
Hardware Distillery Aquavit — Unaged aquavit produced in Hood Canal, Washington, from a base of pear vodka.
Hardware Distillery Cardamom Aquavit — Aquavit with a peppery finish made from a base of pear vodka.
Hardware Distillery Dill Aquavit — A more subtle dill aquavit made from a base of pear vodka.
Hardware Distillery Sommarkvåll — A summer-inspired citrusy aquavit made in collaboration with Skål Beer Hall in Ballard.
Hovding — A Norwegian aquavit distilled with caraway, coriander, star anise, fennel, orange and lemon peel, licorice, and other botanicals, aged in oloroso sherry casks.
Hven Organic Aquavit — This organic aquavit from Sweden is aged in oak prior to and after distillation, and flavored with caraway, lemon and orange zests, St. John’s wort, and honey.
Ironton Nordic Gold — Aged expression of Ironton’s rye aquavit, aged in rye whiskey barrels.
Ironton Rye Aquavit — Distilled in Denver with a rye-based spirit and caraway, dill, anise, coriander, juniper, angelica, fennel, peppercorn, and lemon.
Järvsö Aquavit Royal — From the Tevsjö distillery in Sweden, an aquavit made with anise, fennel, and Spanish cherry.
Krogstad Festlig — The popular “festive” aquavit from House Spirits in Portland. Flavored with caraway and star anise. Very nice chilled and distinctive in cocktails.
Krogstad Gamle — Krogstad’s “Gamle” aquavit is aged for 10-12 months in French oak wine barrels. The strong anise and caraway flavors still stand out, but the ageing softens the spirit for enjoying neat.
Long Road — Distilled in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Long Road features a blend of caraway, fresh dill, dill seed, cumin, star anise, fennel and about a dozen other botanicals.
Long Road Old Aquavit — Long Road aquavit aged for a year in rye and wheat whiskey barrels, bottled at 90-proof.
Lysholm Linie — The most widely available Scandinavian aquavit in the United States. Distilled from potatoes and flavored primarily with caraway and anise, this spirit is uniquely aged for about four months in sherry barrels that travel by ship twice across the equator. Made in Norway.
Minions VänSkap Aquavit — Deriving its name from the Swedish for “friendship,” this aquavit from Fargo, North Dakota advertises notes of citrus, fennel, star anise, caraway, coriander, juniper, and dill.
Norden American Oak Reserve — Cask-strength (107-proof) aged expression of Norden aquavit, aged in rye whiskey barrels for a minimum of one year.
Norden Heirloom Garden Dill — Distilled with a dill variety brought over from Denmark along with dill seeds, nasturtium, marigold, yarrow, angelica root, coriander, fennel, and lovage.
Norden Limited Edition Pink Aquavit — Inspired by Michigan summer, this aquavit is infused with Michigan strawberries and rhubarb for 45 days. Just before bottling it is infused with hibiscus and a distillation of damask rose petals.
Norden Original Taffel Style — Distilled in Michigan with ten botanicals, including caraway, dill, clementine, coriander, angelica, orris, clary sage, staghorn sumac, and anise.
North Shore Private Reserve — Flavored with caraway, cumin, coriander, and perhaps a few other spices, then barrel aged in new American oak. The cumin note lends a distinct spiciness and the barrel ageing smoothes out the edges. Distilled in Lake Bluff, Illinois, just north of Chicago.
O.P. Anderson — A classic Swedish aquavit from Sundsvall distilled with caraway, anise, and fennel, and lightly aged in oak for six months.
Precis Aquavit — Aquavit from Sweden distilled with caraway, dill, and other botanicals.
Pluvia Vitae — From Stillweather Spirits in Portland, Oregon, an aquavit made with aquavit, Hawthorn berries, tart cherries, dill, grapefruit peel, and a touch of star anise.
Regnig Dag — “Rainy Day” aquavit from Bull Run in Portland. Flavored with caraway, star anise, and fennel. Aged for about six months in Oregon pinot gris and pinot noir barrels.
Rolling River Old Ole — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with fresh dill, dill seed, fennel, caraway, and juniper, aged in oak barrels.
Rolling River Ole Bjørkevoll — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with fresh dill, dill seed, fennel, caraway, and juniper.
Rolling River Bjørkevoll’s Holiday Aquavit — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with caraway, fennel, cardamom, allspice, and cinnamon.
Rolling River Bjørkevoll’s Gamel Holiday Aquavit — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with caraway, fennel, cardamom, allspice, and cinnamon, aged in a used cab franc barrel.
Rolling River Stilar Reserve Brown Bear — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with caraway, fennel, orange, and hops aged in used rye whiskey barrels.
Rolling River Stilar Reserve Kind of Big Dill — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with caraway, dill, cucumber, and pepper.
Rolling River Stilar Reserve Wild Boar — An aquavit from Portland, Oregon flavored with 100% caraway and aged in used rye whiskey barrels.
Scratch Lemon Pepper Aquavit — Distilled from Washington soft white winter wheat, rested in neutral American oak barrels for one year, and infused with caraway, dill, Meyer lemon peel, and smoked black peppercorns.
Scratch Tyee Aquavit — Named for the indigenous name for the Chinook salmon, this aquavit is infused with caraway, apple, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.
Scratch Underground Aquavit — Distilled from Washington potatoes, infused with caraway and dill, and rested in neutral American Oak Barrels for 10 months.
Scratch WAquavit — Distilled from Washington wheat from the Skagit valley, rested in neutral American oak barrels for eight months, and infused with caraway, dill, cardamom and orange peel.
Skaalven Aquavit — A 100-proof aquavit from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota flavored with caraway, fennel, orange peel and aged in three types of oak.
Skadi — An aquavit from Missoula, Montana. Named after the goddess of “bowhunting, winter, mountains, and justice,” (how’s that for a resume?), Skadi is distilled with caraway seed, bog myrtle, lemon peel, and other botanicals.
Skadi Aged Aquavit — Aged expression of Skadi aged in 200-liter Minnesota oak barrels.
Skiklubben — A unique aquavit from Tamworth Distilling in New Hampshire made with caraway, black walnuts, Canadian snakeroot, ginger, and star anise.
Spirits of French Lick Aquavit — Aquavit from Indiana distilled with ten botanicals, including caraway, coriander, juniper, and dill.
Stjärna — From Temple Distilling in Lynnwood, Washington, this aquavit is made with star anise, caraway, grains of paradise, and orange peel.
Stark Spirits Traditional Aquavit — Distilled in Pasadena, California with caraway and grains of paradise.
Svöl Danish-Style Aquavit — Aquavit distilled in New York with Finnish caraway, cape gooseberry, coriander, rosehip, angelica root, and lemon peel.
Svöl Swedish-Style Aquavit — Aquavit distilled in New York with Finnish caraway, fresh dill, coriander, fennel, lemon verbena, lovage, and lemon peel.
Tattersall Aquavit — Produced in Minneapolis, Minnesota, distilled with caraway, fennel, and other botanicals, and aged in rye whiskey barrels.
Tattersall Toasted Coconut Aquavit — Tattersall aquavit aged in rye whiskey barrels and flavored with toasted coconut.
Vættir — Produced by Aimsir Distilling in Portland, Oregon, this aquavit is made with botanicals including star anise, caraway, fennel, and citrus peel.
Valhalla Aquavit — A barrel aged aquavit (mix of American and French oak) flavored with seven different botanicals. Produced in Houston, Texas.
Venus Spirits Aquavit — Distilled in Santa Cruz California. An aquavit flavored with caraway, juniper, coriander, orange, and anise.
Vikre Øvrevann — Norwegian for “Upper Lake,” referring to Lake Superior. Flavored with caraway and cardamom, distilled in Duluth, Minnesota.
Vikre Voyageur — An aged expression from Vikre that spends over a year in cognac barrels.