To Scandinavians, flavoring spirits
such as vodka is old hat. They've been doing it for centuries
in what they affectionately call aquavit.
Vodka is probably the world's most ubiquitous spirit. It's a
blank-slate beverage - odorless, colorless, and (at least to the
uninitiated) nearly tasteless. This anonymity is the secret to
vodka's astounding success, since it allows drinkers to add the
stuff to just about anything they like and wind up with a cocktail
that's to their taste.
A few years ago, infused vodkas became all the rage. Citrus flavors
were especially popular, but bartenders also concocted fiery
pepper, spicy cinnamon, and sensuous vanilla versions. Spirits
manufacturers themselves cashed in on the do-it-yourself infusion
trend. Vodka now comes in about as many prebottled flavors as
Baskin-Robbins ice cream.
The first Swedish license to sell aquavit was granted in Stockholm
in 1498, but you can bet that the Swedes were making and downing
aquavit at home long before it became a licensed commercial
enterprise. Aquavit is often taken with a beer chaser, but it's
also a ritual part of a Scandinavian meal, served in traditional
long-stemmed glasses. Instead of the domestic preference for fruit
flavors, Scandinavian tastes prefer herbs and spices such as
fennel, anise, dill, and especially caraway. Skål!
LINIE AQUAVIT ($30)
In 1805, the Norwegian Lysholm family accidentally sent a shipment
of its aquavit to Australia. When the misdirected cargo finally got
back to Norway, the Lysholms found that the stuff had developed
smoother, richer flavors after crossing the equator twice. They
named their new aged aquavit Linie (Norwegian for equator) and kept
the process a secret for many years.
Today's Linie still uses the original Lysholm recipe, right down to
the sea voyage. The potato-distilled spirit is flavored with
caraway and herbs grown in the Norwegian countryside, then stored
in casks previously used in the production of oloroso sherry, which
adds notes of vanilla and oak. At any given time, a thousand casks
full of Linie are maturing as deck cargo on Norwegian freighters on
the open sea. The barrels spend four-and-a-half months rolling with
the waves, docking in 35 countries, and crossing the equator twice.
This is a toasty, rounded aquavit that's great on the rocks with a
twist of lime.
O.P. ANDERSON ($19)
O.P. Anderson is just one of the aquavits produced by Vin &
Sprit, the Swedish company that made a name for itself with Absolut
Vodka. Named after famed spirits manufacturer Olof Peter Anderson,
it was first released at the Gothenburg Exposition of 1891. The
complex aromatics include coriander, caraway, fennel, and
anise.
This spirit makes a kicky gravlax, the Swedish sugar-and-salt-cured
fish. Place a 2-pound fillet of salmon in a dish lined with plastic
wrap. Be sure to pull the pin bones from the fillet. Mix 1/2 cup
coarse salt, 1/2 cup sugar, a handful of chopped herbs (fennel,
parsley, and dill are nice), and a teaspoon of crushed peppercorns.
Cover both sides of the fish with this mixture. Pour 3 ounces of
aquavit over the fish. Pull the plastic wrap tightly around the
fillet and put a heavy pan on top to weigh it down. Refrigerate for
three days, turning the fish each day. Remove from marinade, slice
thinly, and serve with a glass of O.P. Anderson.
AALBORG AKVAVIT ($21)
The Danes love their aquavit (or akvavit, as they spell it). In
1800, there were more than 2,500 independent distilleries in
Denmark, 273 of them in Copenhagen alone. By 1923, the large DDSF
conglomerate had gobbled up all of them and held a state monopoly
on the production of aquavit in Denmark. The company, now known as
Danisco, still produces a good percentage of the world's aquavit.
It makes about a dozen versions with various flavor profiles, but
only two are currently imported to the States: the dill-flavored
Jubilaeums and this caraway-flavored version, Aalborg Akvavit.
In Denmark, aquavit is also known as snaps (schnapps), but don't
confuse it with the syrupy, sweetened schnapps that's served in
U.S. bars. This Danish version has a sweet nose, but is squeaky dry
on the palate. Aalborg has a clean herbal flavor profile
spearheaded by caraway. It makes a perfect Scandinavian-accented
Bloody Mary. It's also fabulous with smoked salmon.
BUYER'S GUIDE
LINIE AQUAVIT;
www.linie-aquavit.com
Complex and Toasty
Serve on the rocks with a twist.
O.P. ANDERSON;
www.crillonimporters.com
Spicy and Rich
Great with gravlax
AALBORG AKVAVIT;
www.distillers.dk
Herbal and Clean
Try it in a Bloody Mary