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AKVAVIT
A bottle and glass of Linie brand akvavit. Akvavit, also known as aquavit or
akevitt, is a Scandinavian distilled beverage of typically about 40% alcohol by
volume. Its name comes from aqua vitae, the Latin for "water of life".
INGREDIENTS
Like vodka, it is distilled from potato or grain. It is flavoured with herbs
such as caraway seeds, anise, dill, fennel, coriander, and grains of paradise,
among others. The recipe differs between the different brands, but typically
caraway is the dominating flavour. Akvavit usually has a yellowish hue, but is
available in many colours, from clear to light brown depending on how long it
has been aged in oak casks. Normally, darker colour suggests higher age or the
use of young casks, but this may also come from the use of artificial colour
(caramel - E150). Clear akvavits called Taffel akvavits are typically matured in
old casks which doesn't colour the finished product.
ORIGIN AND TRADITIONAL VARIANTS
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 (Pinnekjøtt). It is said that the
spices and the alcohol helps digest the meal which is very rich in fat.
Among the most important brands are Gilde and Løiten from Norway, Aalborg from
Denmark and Skåne and O.P Andersson from Sweden. . While the Danish and Swedish
variants are normally very light in colour, most of the Norwegian brands are
matured in oak casks for at least one year and for some brands even as long as
12 years. 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 due to the aging process.
Particular to the Norwegian tratidion is the occurrence of Linie akvavits (such
as "Løiten Linie" and "Lysholm Linie"). These have been carried in oak casks
onboard ships crossing the equator ("Linie") twice before it is sold. While many
experts claim that this tradition is little more than a gimmick, some argue that
the moving seas and frequent temperature changes cause the spirit to extract
more flavour from the casks. Norwegian akvavit distillers Arcus has carried out
a scientific test where they tried to emulate the rocking of the casks aboard
the "Linie" ships while the casks were subjected to the weather elements as they
would aboard the same ship. The finished product was according to Arcus far from
the taste that a proper "Linie" akvavit should have, thus the tradition of
shipping the akvavit casks past the "Linie" and back continues.
AKVAVIT DRINKING CULTURE
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.
ARRACK
Arrack refers to the strong spirits distilled mainly in South and South East
Asia from fermented fruits, grains, sugarcane, or the sap of coconuts or other
palm trees. The word itself originated from the Arabic word 'araq', which means
"juice". The name is said to signify, in the East, any spirituous liquor; but
that which usually bears this name is toddy. Generally fermented from coconut
sap today, it is then distilled to produce an alcoholic beverage that tastes
somewhat like something between whiskey and rum. Originally from India, where it
is distilled from Kallu, Arrack is mainly produced in Sri Lanka. It is generally
distilled between 37% to 50% alcohol by volume (70 to 100 proof).
Arrack is traditionally taken straight or with water. Contemporarily it also
often taken with ginger ale or soda, or as a component of various cocktails.
Batavia Arrack is used as a component in herb liqueurs, bitter liqueurs, in
Swedish Punsch, but also used in the confectionery industry and the flavour
industry. It is said that batavia arrack has a flavour enhancing application
when used as a component in other products, as it's used in the herb and bitter
liqueurs.
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