Akevitt blank

A take on akevitt so traditional that it’s modern.

For almost 500 years we have been making aquavit or akevitt, as it written in Norwegian. The name comes from the Latin aqua vita, the water of life. Originally this was thought of as a medicine. So when we wanted to do a modern take on how akevitt was made hundreds of years ago, we started with the traditional medicinal plants of the north.

In the old day’s juniper was one of the most frequent used plants in Norwegian medicine and akevitt. Today its seldom used for any of those things. Therefore, we in Akevitt Blank found it interesting to bring it back and let the aromatic berry play the main roll after carraway. And it would not be a true Norwegian aquavit without carraway. Also a plant commonly used in Norway for its medicinal purposes. It has been said that it is especially good to help with digestion.  This makes a lot of sense when you think about the fact that akevitt is common to drink with food in Scandinavia. When our goal was nothing les than to make the best aquavit in the world, we had to get the best carraway in the world. After tasting a lot different variants of the small brown seeds, we ended up with the one that grows in the middle of Norway in a place called Inderøy. The long summer days and cold nights give a complexity and richness we could not get from anywhere else. Combined with botanical like flowers and wild herbs that you will find in most Norwegian meadows, we finally had our Akevitt Blank.

So, you’re not up for having akevitt the traditional way alongside fermented fish to day? No worries. This is where the modern aspect comes in. When we added juniper to the botanical bill, our thoughts immediately went towards gin. Not too farfetched either as we are one of the few who distil aquavit the same way you would a London dry gin.  We always had cocktails in mind when we developed Akevitt Blank. The easiest way to spot this is to lock towards the ABV. You would not think it is higher than normal for an aquavit when you taste it neat. But the 45% makes all the subtle flavours of Akevitt Blank shine through in any classic gin cocktail or in your take on a modern classic with aquavit.

THE BOTANICALS WE USE IN AKEVITT BLANK

Heather - This gives floral aromas, with some slightly earthy tones and honey.

Sorrel - Gives a spearminty aroma with a hint of pepper.

Angelica - Contributes structure to the distillate. The plant can be called the distiller's salt as it is an important flavour enhancer for the other plants in the aquavit.

Chamomile flower - Recognized by a strong, sweet floral scent and a hint of tobacco.

St. John's wort - Has a scent reminiscent of the leaves of the raspberry bush. The taste is sweet, earthy, and reminiscent of umami.

Caraway - Has a warm aroma with hints of pepper, orange and lemon peel, carrot, and fennel.

Meadowsweet - A wide range of aromas ranging from honey and hay to almonds and vanilla. Contributes a slight bitterness to the taste.

Juniper- Citrus aromas with hints of spruce, resin, grass, wax and wood.

TASTING NOTE

Nose - Spring forest with green herbs.

Pallet - Herbal notes with freshly ground pepper and citrus peel.

Aftertaste - Citrus, minerals, and a long, herbal finish.